BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

•O 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

Gift  of 
Mrs.   Esther  C.  Thomson 


A  VOICE  OF  WARNING 

AND 

INSTRUCTION  TO  ALL  PEOPLE, 

OR, 

AN  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  FAITH  AND  DOCTRINE  OF  THE 
CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  OF  LATTER-DAY  SAINTS, 


BY  PARLEY  P.   PRATT. 


Beh"M,  the  former  things  are  come  to  pass,  and  new  things  do  I 
jfore  they  spring  forth  I  tell  you  of  them.— Isaiah  xlii,  Q. 

.ce  your  cause,   saith  the  Lord,  bring  forth  your   strong 
.  aith  the  King  of  Jacob.— Isaiah  xli,  24, 


ELEVENTH     EDITION. 


SALT  LAKE  CITY,   UTAH: 

DESIBBT  Naws  COMPANY,  PRINTERS  AND  PUBLISHERS. 

1881, 


CONTENTS. 

PASS 

Preface  to  the  Second  European  Edition 5 

Preface  to  the  First  American  Edition 9 

CHAPTER   I. 

On  Prophecy  already  Fulfilled 19 

CHAPTER   II. 

On  the  Fulfilment  of  Prophecy  yet  future 59 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Kingdom  of  God 98 

CHAPTER   IV. 
The  Book  of   Mormon  —  Origin  of  the 

American  Indians,  etc 130 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Saints,  and  the 
Restoration  of  all  things  spoken  by  the 
Prophets 180 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  dealings  of  God  with  all  Nations  in 

regard  to  Revelation 233 

CHAPTER  VII. 

A  Contrast  between  the  Doctrine  of  Christ, 
and  the  False  Doctrines  of  the  nine- 
teenth century »,. , 245 


PREFACE 

TO  THE  SECOND  EUROPEAN  EDITION. 


WHEN  the  following  Work  was  first  pub- 
lished in  America,  in  1837,  it  was  but  little 
known,  and  seemed  to  meet  with  little  or  no 
encouragement.  Months  passed  away,  and 
very  few  copies  were  sold  or  read.  But,  to 
the  astonishment  of  the  author,  it  worked 
itself  into  notice  more  and  more,  by  the 
blessing  of  God,  and  by  virtue  of  its  own 
real  merits;  till,  in  two  years,  the  first  edition, 
consisting  of  three  thousand  copies,  was  all 
sold,  and  many  more  were  called  for.  A  new 
edition  was  published  in  1839,  consisting  of 
two  thousand  five  hundred  copies;  these  were 
also  disposed  of.  Other  three  editions  have 
since  been  published,  making  in  all  thirteen 
thousand  copies  now  disposed  of,  and  the 
demand  is  still  increasing  both  in  America 
and  Europe. 

It  has  already  found  its  way  into  most  of 
the  American  States,  and  into  the  provinces 
of  the  Canadas,  as  well  as  many  parts  of 
England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  and  Wales.  It 
has  visited  the  cottages  of  the  humble,  and 


6  PREFACE. 

the  parlors  of  the  great;  and  from  the  best 
information  we  have  on  the  subject,  very  few 
have  risen  from  its  perusal  without  a  deep 
and  settled  conviction  of  the  truth  of  its 
principles. 

The  author  has  now  in  his  possession  the 
testimony  of  hundreds  of  people,  from  dif- 
ferent states  and  nations,  all  bearing  witness 
that  this  Work  has  been  a  means,  in  the 
hands  of  God,  of  saving  them  from  infidel- 
ity, from  sectarian  error  and  delusion,  and  of 
guiding  them  into  the  light  of  TRUTH. 

All  these  considerations,  and  an  intense 
desire  to  impart  the  truth  to  mankind  as 
widely  as  possible,  have  induced  the  author 
to  send  forth  this  new  edition;  which  he 
greatly  desires  may  prove  a  blessing  to 
thousands  who  are  yet  grovelling  in  darkness 
and  superstition,  and  lead  them  to  the  true 
fold  of  God. 

If  there  be  anything  to  admire,  or  any- 
thing praiseworthy  in  this  Work,  the  author 
has  no  claim  to  the  honor  or  the  praise;  it  is 
justly  due  to  Him  who  is  the  Source  and 
Fountain  of  all  TRUTH.  The  author  was  a 
husbandman,  inured  to  the  plow— unpolished 
by  education,  untaught  in  the  schools  of 
modern  Sectarianism,  (falsely  called  "Divin- 
ity ")— reared  in  the  wilds  of  America,  with  a 


PREFACE.  7 

mind  independent,  untrammelled  and  free. 
He  drank  of  the  pure  fountain  of  Truth, 
unsullied  and  unmixed,  as  it  unfolded  in 
majesty  of  light  and  splendor  from  the  open- 
ing heavens  in  all  the  simplicity  of  its  nature. 
As  such  it  has  flowed  from  his  pen  in  the  fol- 
lowing volume;  not  veiled  in  mystery;  not 
dressed  in  the  pomp  of  high-sounding 
names,  and  titles,  and  learned  terms;  not 
adorned  in  the  gay  attire  of  eloquence  flow- 
ing from  the  imagination  and  the  passions; 
but  standing  forth  in  the  undress  of  its  own 
native  modesty,  as  if  conscious  of  the  purity 
and  innocence  of  its  nature. 

He  is  indebted  not  only  to  the  Spirit  of 
Truth  for  the  principles  contained  in  this 
Work,  but  also  to  several  men,  who  have 
been  made  the  instruments  in  the  hands  of 
God,  to  reveal  the  knowledge  of  God  to  this 
generation,  and  to  be  the  founders  and  lead- 
ers of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints. 

Among  the  foremost  of  these,  he  would 
make  honorable  mention  of  President  Joseph 
Smith,  by  whose  instrumentality  most  of 
these  glorious  truths  (so  well  known  to  the 
ancients)  have  been  restored  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  world— and  whose  zeal,  labors, 
sufferings,  and  subsequent  murder,  will  stand 


8  PREFACE. 

forth  as  a  bright  memorial  to  all  succeeding 
ages,  and  be  celebrated  by  happy  millions 
yet  unborn. 

With  an  assurance  that  the  principles  of 
this  Work  will  yet  prevail  over  the  whole 
earth,  this  new  edition  of  the  VOICE  OF 
WARNING  is  now  sent  forth;  and  should  the 
author  be  called  to  sacrifice  his  life  for  the 
cause  of  Truth,  he  will  have  the  consolation 
that  it  will  be  said  of  him,  as  it  was  said  of 
Abel,  viz:  "HE,  BEING  DEAD,  YET  SPEAK- 
ETH." 

PARLEY  P.  PRATT. 

Manchester,  England, 
Dec.  4, 1846. 


PREFACE 


TO  THE  FIRST  AMERICAN  EDITION. 


DURING  the  last  nine  years,  the  public 
mind  has  been  constantly  agitated,  more  or 
less,  through  all  parts  of  our  country,  with 
the  cry  of  "Mormonism,  Mormonism,  Delu- 
sion, Imposture,  Fanaticism,"  etc.,  chiefly 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  press. 
Many  of  the  newspapers  of  the  day  have 
been  constantly  teeming  with  misrepresenta- 
tions and  slanders  of  the  foulest  kind,  in 
order  to  destroy  the  influence  and  character 
of  an  innocent  society  in  its  very  infancy;  a 
society  of  whose  real  principles  many  of 
them  know  nothing  at  all.  Every  species  of 
wickedness  has  been  resorted  to,  and  all 
manner  of  evil  has  been  spoken  against  them 
falsely;  insomuch,  that  in  many  places, 
houses  and  ears  are  closed  against  them? 


10  .PKfiFACE. 

without  the  possibility  of  being  heard  for  a 
moment. 

Were  this  the  only  evil,  we  might  have 
less  cause  of  complaint ;  but  in  conse- 
quence of  this  we  have  been  assaulted  by 
mobs,  some  of  our  houses  have  been  torn 
down  or  burned,  our  goods  destroyed,  and 
fields  of  grain  laid  waste.  Yea,  more— some 
of  us  have  been  stoned,  whipped,  and  shot; 
our  blood  has  been  caused  to  flow,  and  still 
smokes  to  heaven,  because  of  our  religious 
principles,  in  this  our  native  land,  the  boasted 
land  of  liberty  and  equal  law!  while  we  have 
sought  in  vain  for  redress.  Officers  of  state 
have  been  deaf  to  the  voice  of  Innocence, 
imploring  at  their  feet  for  justice  and  protec- 
tion in  the  enjoyment  of  rights  as  American 
citizens. 

Under  these  circumstances,  what  could  be 
done?  How  were  we  to  correct  the  public 
mind?  We  were  few  in  number,  and  our 
means  of  giving  information  very  limited; 
the  columns  of  most  of  the  papers  were 
closed  against  us,  their  popularity  being  at 


PREFACE.  11 

stake  the  moment  our  principles  were  admit- 
ted. It  is  true  we  published  a  monthly 
paper,  in  which  our  principles  were  clearly 
set  forth;  but  its  circulation  was  limited  to  a 
few  thousands.  Under  these  circumstances, 
had  we  the  tongue  of  angels,  and  the  zeal  of 
Apostles,  with  our  hearts  expanded  wide  as 
eternity,  with  the  intelligence  of  heaven,  and 
the  love  of  God  burning  in  our  bosoms;  and 
commissioned  to  bear  as  joyful  tidings  as 
ever  were  borne  by  Michael,  the  Archangel, 
from  the  regions  of  glory;  yet,  it  would  have 
been  as  impossible  for  us  to  have  communi- 
cated the  same  to  the  public,  as  it  was  for 
Paul,  when  he  stood  in  the  midst  of  Ephesus, 
to  declare  the  glad  tidings  of  a  crucified  and 
risen  Redeemer,  when  his  voice  was  lost 
amid  the  universal  cry  of  " Great  is  Diana  of 
the  Ephesians!" 

Go,  lift  your  voice  to  the  tumultuous 
waves  of  the  ocean,  or  try  to  reason  amid 
the  roar  of  cannon  while  the  tumult  of 
war  is  gathering  thick  around,  or  speak 
to  the  howling  tempest  while  it  pours  a 


12  PREFACE. 

deluge  over  the  plains;  let  your  voice  be 
.  heard  amid  the  roar  of  chariots  rushing  sud- 
denly over  the  pavements;  or,  what  is  still 
less  useful,  converse  with  a  man  who  is  lost 
in  slumbers,  or  reason  with  a  drunkard  while 
he  reels  to  and  fro  under  the  influence  of  the 
intoxicating  poison,  and  these  will  convince 
you  of  the  impossibility  of  communicating 
truth  to  that  soul  who  is  willing  to  make  up 
his  judgment  upon  popular  rumor,  or  to  be 
wafted  gently  down  the  current  of  public 
opinion,  without  stopping  for  a  moment  to 
listen,  to  weigh,  to  hear  both  sides  of  the 
question,  and  judge  for  himself. 

One  of  the  greatest  obstacles  in  the  way  of 
the  spread  of  truth,  in  every  age,  is  the  tide 
of  public  opinion.  Let  one  ray  of  light  burst 
upon  the  world  in  any  age,  and  it  is  sure  to 
corne  in  contact  with  the  traditions  and  long- 
established  usages  of  men,  and  their  opinions; 
or  with  some  religious  craft,  so  that,  like  the 
Ephesians,  they  counsel  together  what  shall 
be  done;  their  great  goddess  will  be  spoken 
against,  her  magnificence  despised,  her  temple 


PREFACE.  13 

deserted;  or,  what  is  still  worse,  their  craft  is 
in  danger,  for  by  this  they  have  their  wealth. 
Gall  to  mind  the  Apostles  in  contact  with  the 
Jewish  Rabbis,  or  with  Gentile  superstitions; 
in  short,  at  war  with  every  religious  establish- 
ment on  the  earth.  Witness  the  popular 
clamor:  "If  we  let  them  thus  alone,  all  men 
will  believe  on  them,  and  the  Romans  will 
come  and  take  away  our  place  and  nation." 
"These  men  that  turn  the  world  upside 
down  have  come  hither  also."  "What  new 
doctrine  is  this,  for  thou  bringest  certain 
strange  things  to  our  ears?"  "These  men  do 
exceedingly  trouble  our  city,  and  teach 
customs  which  are  not  lawful  for  us  to  receive, 
being  Romans."  "What  will  this  babbler  say, 
he  seems  to  be  a  setter  forth  of  strange  gods?" 
And  many  other  such  like  sayings. 

Or,  let  us  for  a  moment  contemplate  the 
events  of  later  date;  for  instance,  the  Mother 
Church  against  the  reformers  of  various 
ages;  see  them  belied,  slandered,  degraded, 
whipped,  stoned,  imprisoned,  burned,  and 
destroyed  in  various  ways,  while  the  ignorant 


14  PREFACE. 

multitude  were  made  to  believe  they  were 
the  very  worst  of  men. 

Again,  think  for  a  moment  of  the  strug- 
gles of  Columbus,  an  obscure  individual 
of  limited  education,  but  blessed  with  a 
largeness  of  heart,  a  noble  genius,  a  mind 
which  disdained  to  confine  itself  to  the 
old  beaten  track;  accustomed  to  think  for 
itself,  it  burst  the  chains  which,  in  ages 
past,  had  held  in  bondage  the  nations  of  the 
earth;  it  soared  aloft,  as  it  were  on  eagle's 
wings;  it  outstripped  and  left  far  behind  the 
boasted  genius  of  Greece  and  Rome;  it  pene- 
trated the  dark  mysteries  which  lay  concealed 
amid  the  western  waters.  Behold  him  strug- 
gling for  eight  years  against  the  learned 
ignorance  of  the  courts  and  councils  of 
Europe,  while  the  sneer  of  contempt,  the 
finger  of  scorn,  and  the  hiss  of  derision, 
were  the  solid  arguments  opposed  to  his 
theory. 

But  what  was  the  result  when,  after  many 
a  fruitless  struggle,  an  expedition  was  fitted 
Out,  consisting  of  three  small  vessels?  A 


PREFACE.  15 

new  world  presented  itself  to  the  wondering 
nations  of  the  East,  destined,  at  no  distant 
period,  to  become  the  theatre  of  the  most 
glorious  and  astonishing  events  of  the  last 
days.  This  fact  was  no  sooner  demonstrated 
than  their  philosophical,  geographical,  and 
religious  objections  vanished  in  a  moment; 
haughty  ignorance  and  bigotry  were  for  once 
constrained  to  cast  their  honors  in  the  dust, 
and  bow  their  reverend  heads  at  the  feet  of 
real  worth,  and  learn,  in  humble  silence, 
that  one  fact,  clearly  demonstrated,  was 
worth  ten  thousand  theories  and  opinions  of 
men. 

Having  said  so  much  to  impress  upon  the 
human  mind  the  necessity  of  hearing,  and 
then  judging,  I  would  only  add,  that  the 
object  of  this  publication  is  to  give  the  public 
correct  information  concerning  a  religious 
system,  which  has  penetrated  every  State 
from  Maine  to  Missouri,  as  well  as  the  Can- 
adas,  in  the  short  space  of  nine  years;  organ- 
izing Churches  and  Conferences  in  every 
region,  and  gathering  in  its  progress  from 


16  PREFACE. 

fifty  to  a  hundred  thousand  disciples;  hav- 
ing, at  the  same  time,  to  sustain  the  shock  of 
an  overwhelming,  religious  influence,  op- 
posed to  it  by  the  combined  powers  of  every 
sect  in  America.  What  but  the  arm  of 
Omnipotence  could  have  moved  it  forward 
amid  the  rage  of  mobs?  having  to  contend 
with  the  prejudice  of  the  ignorant  and  the 
pen  of  the  learned;  at  war  with  every  creed 
and  craft  in  Christendom;  while  the  combined 
powers  of  earth  and  hell  were  hurling  a 
storm  of  persecution,  unparalleled  in  the 
history  of  our  country. 

This  Work  is  also  intended  as  a  warning 
voice,  or  proclamation  of  truth,  to  all  people 
into  whose  hands  it  may  fall,  that  they  may 
understand,  and  be  prepared  for  the  great 
day  of  the  Lord.  Opinion  and  guesswork 
in  the  things  of  God  are  worse  than  useless; 
facts,  well  demonstrated,  can  alone  be  of 
service  to  mankind.  And  as  the  Holy  Ghost 
can  alone  guide  us  into  all  truth,  we  pray 
God  the  Eternal  Father,  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ  His  Son,  that  the  Spirit  of  Truth 


-   PREFACE.  17 

may  inspire  our  hearts  in  inditing  this  matter; 
that  we  may  be  able  to  write  the  truth  in 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power, 
that  it  may  be  the  word  of  God,  tlie  ever- 
lasting Gospel,  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion, to  the  Gentile  first,  and  also  to  the 
Jew. 


A  VOICE  OF  WARNING 

AND 

INSTRUCTION  TO  ALL  PEOPLE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ON  PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

We  have  also  a  more  sure  word  of  prophecy, 
whereunto  ye  do  well  that  ye  take  heed  as  unto  a 
light  that  shineth  in  a  dark  place,  until  the  day  dawn, 
and  the  day-star  arise  in  your  hearts:  knowing  this 
first,  that  no  prophecy  of  the  Scripture  is  of  any 
private  interpretation;  for  the  prophecy  came  not  in 
old  time  by  the  will  of  man,  but  holy  men  of  God 
spake  as  they  were  moved  upon  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
—PETER. 

IN  order  to  prove  anything  from  Scripture, 
it  is  highly  necessary  in  the  first  place  to  lay 
down  some  certain,  definite,  infallible  rule  of 
interpretation,  without  which  the  mind  is 
lost  in  uncertainty  and  doubt,  ever  learning, 
and  never  able  to  eoine  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  ktitli. 


20    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

The  neglect  of  such  a  rule  has  thrown  man- 
kind into  the  utmost  confusion  and  uncer- 
tainty in  all  their  biblical  researches.  In- 
deed, while  mankind  are  left  at  liberty  to 
transform,  spiritualize,  or  give  any  uncertain 
or  private  interpretation  to  the  word  of  God, 
all  is  uncertainty. 

"Whatsoever  was  written  aforetime,  was 
written  for  our  profit  and  learning,  that  we 
through  patience  and  comfort  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, might  have  hope."  Now,  suppose  a 
friend  from  a  distance  should  write  us  a  letter, 
making  certain  promises  to  us  on  certain  con- 
ditions, which,  if  we  obtained,  would  be  great- 
ly to  our  profit  and  advantage:  of  course  it 
might  be  said  the  letter  was  written  for  our 
profit  and  learning,  that  through  patience 
and  comfort  of  the  letter  we  might  have  hope 
to  obtain  the  things  promised.  Now  if  we 
clearly  understood  the  letter,  and  knew  what 
to  expect,  then  it  would  afford  us  comfort 
and  hope;  whereas,  if  there  was  any  doubt 
or  uncertainty  on  our  minds  in  the  under- 
standing of  the  same,  then  could  we  derive 
no  certain  comfort  or  hope  from  the  things? 
written,  not  knowing  what  to  hope  for;  con- 
sequently the  letter  would  not  profit  us  at  all. 
And  so  it  is  with  the  Scriptures.  No  prophecy 
or  promise  will  profit  the  reader,  or  produce 


PKOPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.    21 

patience,  comfort,  or  hope  in  his  mind  until 
clearly  understood,  that  he  may  know  pre- 
cisely what  to  hope  for.  Now,  the  predic- 
tions of  the  Prophets  can  be  clearly  under- 
stood, as  much  so  as  the  almanac  when  it 
foretells  an  eclipse;  or  else  the  Bible  of  all 
books  is  of  most  doubtful  usefulness.  Far 
better  would  it  have  been  for  mankind,  if  the 
great  Author  of  our  existence  hagl  revealed 
nothing  to  His  fallen  creatures,  than  to  have 
revealed  a  book  which  would  leave  them  in 
doubt  and  uncertainty,  to  contend  with  one 
another,  from  age  to  age,  respecting  the  mean- 
ing of  its  contents.  That  such  uncertainty 
and  contention  have  existed  for  ages,  none 
will  deny.  The  wise  and  learned  have 
differed,  and  do  still  widely  differ,  from  each 
other,  in  the  understanding  of  prophecy. 
Whence  then  this  difference?  Either  Reve- 
lation itself  is  deficient,  or  else  the  fault  is 
in  mankind.  But  to  say  Revelation  is  defi- 
cient, would  be  to  charge  God  foolishly;  God 
forbid:  the  fault  must  be  in  man.  There  are 
two  great  causes  for  this  blindness,  which  I 
will  now  show: 

First,  mankind  have  supposed  that  direct 
inspiration  by  the  Holy  Ghost  was  not  in- 
tendedvfor  all  ages  of  the  Church,  but  was 
confined  to  primitive  times;  the  " Canon  of 


22         PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

Scripture  being  full,"  and  all  things  neces- 
sary being  revealed;  the  Spirit  which  guides 
into  all  truth  was  no  longer  for  the  people: 
therefore  they  sought  to  understand,  by 
their  own  wisdom,  and  by  their  own  learn- 
ing, what  could  never  be  clearly  understood, 
except  by  the  Spirit  of  Truth:  for  the  things 
of  God  knoweth  no  man,  except  by  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

Secondly,  having  lost  the  Spirit  of  Inspira- 
tion, they  began  to  institute  their  own  opin- 
ions, traditions,  and  commandments;  giving 
constructions  and  private  interpretations  to 
the  written  word,  instead  of  believing  the 
things  written.  And  the  moment  they  de- 
parted from  its  literal  meaning,  one  man's 
opinion,  or  interpretation,  was  just  as  good 
as  another's;  all  were  clothed  with  equal 
authority,  and  from  thence  arose  all  the 
darkness  and  misunderstanding  on  theso 
points,  which  have  agitated  the  world  for  the 
last  seventeen  hundred  years. 

Among  the  variety  of  commodities  which 
attract  the  attention  of  mankind,  there  is  one 
thing  of  more  value  than  all  others.  A  prin- 
ciple which,  if  once  possessed,  will  greatly 
assist  in  obtaining  all  other  things  worth  pos- 
sessing, whether  it  were  power,  wealth, 
riches,  honors,  thrones,  or  dominions.  Com- 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.    23 

paratively  few  have  ever  possessed  it,  al- 
though it  was  within  the  reach  of  many  others, 
but  they  were  either  not  aware  of  it,  or  did 
not  know  its  value.  It  has  worked  wonders 
for  the  few  who  have  possessed  it.  Some 
it  enabled  to  escape  from  drowning,  while 
every  soul  who  did  not  possess  it  was  lost  in 
the  mighty  deep.  Others  it  saved  from  fam- 
ine, while  thousands  perished  all  around 
them;  by  it  men  have  often  been  raised  to  dig- 
nity in  the  state;  yea,  more,  some  have  been 
raised  to  the  throne  of  empires.  The  posses- 
sion of  it  has  sometimes  raised  men  from  a 
dungeon  to  a  palace;  and  there  are  instances 
in  which  those  that  possessed  it  were  deliv- 
ered from  the  flames,  while  cities  were  con- 
sumed, and  every  soul,  themselves  excepted, 
perished.  Frequently,  when  a  famine  or 
the  sword  has  destroyed  a  city  or  nation,  they 
alone  who  possessed  it  escaped  unhurt.  By 
this  time  the  reader  inquires,  What  can  this 
be?  Inform  me,  and  I  will  purchase  it,  even 
at  the  sacrifice  of  all  I  possess  on  earth.  Well, 
kind  reader,  this  treasure  is  FOREKNOWL- 
EDGE! a  knowledge  of  things  future!  Let  a 
book  be  published,  entitled,  "A  Knowledge 
of  the  Future,"  and  let  mankind  be  really 
convinced  that  it  did  give  a  certain,  definite 
knowledge  of  future  events,  so  that  its  pages 


24    PBOPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

unfold  the  future  history  of  the  nations,  and 
of  many  great  events,  as  the  history  of  Greece 
or  Rome  does  unfold  the  past,  and  a  large 
edition  would  immediately  sell  at  a  great  sum 
per  copy;  indeed,  they  would  be  above  all 
price.  Now,  kind  reader,  the  books  of  the 
Prophets,  and  the  Spirit  of  Prophecy  were 
intended  for  this  very  purpose.  Well  did  the 
Apostle  say,  "Covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts; 
but  rather  that  ye  prophesy." 

Having  said  so  much,  we  will  now  enter 
into  the  wide  expanded  field  which  lies  before 
us,  and  search  out  the  treasures  of  wisdom 
and  knowledge  which  have  been  shining  for 
ages  like  a  light  in  a  dark  place.  We  will 
explore  regions  unknown  to  many;  we  will 
gaze  upon  the  opening  glories  which  present 
themselves  on  every  side,  and  feast  our  souls 
with  knowledge  which  is  calculated  in  its  na- 
ture to  enlarge  the  heart,  to  exalt  the  mind, 
and  to  raise  the  affections  above  the  little, 
mean,  grovelling  things  of  the  world,  and  to 
make  one  wise  unto  salvation. 

But,  first,  for  the  definite  rule  of  interpre- 
tation. For  this  we  will  not  depend  on  any 
man  or  commentary,  for  the  Holy  Ghost  has 
given  it  by  the  mouth  of  Peter:  "Knowing 
this  first,  that  no  prophecy  of  the  Scripture 
is  of  aiiy  private  interpretation. "  2  Peter  i,  20. 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.    25 

There  is  one  grand  division  to  be  kept  con- 
stantly in  view  in  the  study  of  prophecy; 
namely,  the  distinction  between  the  past  and 
the  future.  The  reader  should  be  careful  to 
ascertain  what  portion  has  been  fulfilled, 
and  what  remains  to  be  fulfilled:  always 
remembering  Peter's  rule  of  interpretation 
will  apply  to  both.  Now,  if  we  should 
find  in  our  researches  that  every  prophecy 
which  has  been  fulfilled  to  the  present  year, 
has  been  literally  fulfilled,  then  it  follows  of 
necessity  that  every  prophecy  which  is  yet 
future  will  not  fail  of  a  literal  fulfilment. 
Let  us  commence  with  the  days  of  Noah. 
Gen.  vi,  17:  "And  behold  I,  even  I,  do  bring 
a  flood  of  waters  upon  the  earth,  to  destroy 
all  flesh,  wherein  is  the  breath  of  life,  from 
under  heaven;  and  every  thing  that  is  in  the 
earth  shall  die." 

In  the  verses  which  follow  the  above  the 
Lord  commands  Noah  to  enter  the  Ark,  and 
take  with  him  animals  of  every  kind,  etc. 
And  in  the  22d  verse  it  is  written,  "Thus 
did  Noah,  according  to  all  that  God  com- 
manded him,  so  did  he."  It  was  well  for 
Noah  that  he  was  not  well  versed  in  the  spir- 
itualizing systems  of  modern  divinity;  for, 
under  their  benighted  influence,  he  would 
never  have  believed  that  so  marvelous  a 


26    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

prophecy  would  have  had  a  literal  meaning 
and  accomplishment,  No,  he  would  have 
been  told  that  the  flood  meant  a  spiritual 
flood,  and  the  Ark  a  spiritual  Ark,  and  the 
moment  he  thought  otherwise,  he  would 
have  been  set  down  for  a  fanatic,  knave,  or 
fool;  but  it  was  so,  that  he  was  just  simple 
enough  to  believe  the  prophecy  literally, 
Here  then  is  a  fair  sample  of  foreknowledge', 
for  all  the  world,  who  did  not  possess  it,  per- 
ished by  the  flood. 

The  next  prediction  we  will  notice  is  Gen. 
xv,  13—16.  "And  he  said  unto  Abraham. 
Know  of  a  surety  that  thy  seed  shall  be  a 
stranger  in  a  land  that  is  not  theirs,  and 
shall  serve  them,  and  they  shall  afflict  them 
four  hundred  j^ears.  And  also  that  nation, 
whom  they  shall  serve,  will  I  judge;  and 
afterwards  shall  they  come  out  with  great 
substance.  And  thou  shalt  go  to  thy  fathers 
in  peace;  thou  shalt  be  buried  in  a  good  old 
age;  but  in  the  fourth  generation  they  shall 
come  hither  again,  for  the  iniquity  of  the 
Amorites  is  not  yet  full." 

The  evil  entreating  of  the  children  of  Israel 
four  hundred  years,  together  with  their  com- 
ing out  with  great  substance,  and  the  judg- 
ment of  God  upon  Egypt,  as  well  as  the  death 
of  Abraham  in  a  good  old  age,  are  all  facts 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.          27 

too  well  known  to  need  comment  here;  suffice 
it  to  say,  that  it  is  a  striking  example  of  the 
exact  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  uttered  moro 
than  four  hundred  years  before  it  had  its 
accomplishment.  From  this  we  gather  that 
none  of  those  ancient  men  knew  anything  of 
the  modern  system  of  spiritualizing. 

Our  next  is  Gen.  xix,  12,  13:  "And  the 
men  said  unto  Lot,  Hast  thou  here  any 
besides?  son-in-law,  and  thy  sons,  and 
thy  daughters,  and  whatsoever  thou  hast 
in  the  city,  bring  them  out  of  this  place: 
for  we  will  destroy  this  place,  because  the 
cry  of  them  is  waxed  great  before  the 
face  of  the  Lord;  and  the  Lord  hath  sent 
us  to  destroy  it."  Now,  Lot  being  simple 
enough  to  believe  the  thing  in  its  literal  sense, 
took  as  many  of  his  family  as  would  follow, 
and  escaped  for  his  life;  to  the  great  amuse- 
ment, no  doubt,  of  the  Sodomites,  who  proba- 
bly stood  gazing  after,  crying  "Delusion,  delu- 
sion!" they  thinking  all  the  while  that  the 
prophecy  was  only  a  figure.  Here  is  an 
example  of  a  man  escaping  from  the  flames 
by  foreknowledge  imparted  to  him,  while  the 
whole  city  perished.  O  !  what  a  blessing 
that  Lot  had  no  knowledge  of  the  modern 
manner  of  interpreting  prophecy.  If  it  had 
once  entered  his  heart  that  he  must  come  out 


28    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

of  Sodom  spiritually,  instead  of  literally,  it 
would  have  cost  him  his  life. 

Let  us  examine  a  prophecy  of  Joseph  in  the 
land  of  Egypt.  Gen.  xli,  29—31:  "Behold, 
there  come  seven  years  of  great  plenty 
throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt:  and  there 
shall  arise  after  them  seven  years  of  famine; 
and  all  the  plenty  shall  be  forgotten  in  the 
land  of  Egypt;  and  the  famine  shall  consume 
the  land:  and  the  plenty  shall  not  be  known 
in  the  land  by  reason  of  that  famine  follow- 
ing; for  it  shall  be  very  grievous."  Joseph 
then  proceeds  to  give  directions  for  corn  to  be 
laid  up  in  great  abundance  during  the  seven 
plenteous  years,  in  order  to  provide  against 
the  famine.  And  Pharaoh,  being  no  better 
versed  in  the  school  of  modern  divinity  than 
his  predecessors,  never  once  thought  of  any 
other  interpretation  but  the  most  literal, 
And  thus  he  was  the  means,  together  with 
Joseph,  in  the  hand  of  God,  of  saving,  not 
only  their  nation,  but  the  house  of  Israel, 
from  famine.  This  is  another  striking  ex- 
ample of  the  power  of  foreknowledge.  It  not 
only  saved  from  famine,  but  it  exalted  Joseph 
from  a  dungeon  to  a  palace;  from  the  lowest 
degradation  to  the  highest  honor;  so  that 
they  cried  before  him,  "Bow  the  knee!" 
But,  0  !  what  death  and  mourning  would 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.    29 

have  followed  had  they  dreamed  only  of  spir- 
itual famine  and  spiritual  corn. 

Having  given  a  few  plain  examples  of  early 
ages,  we  will  lightly  touch  upon  some  of  the 
most  remarkable  events  of  prophecy,  and  its 
fulfilment,  until  we  come  down  to  the  Jewish 
Prophets,  where  the  field  opens  wide,  touch- 
ing in  its  progress  the  most  remarkable 
events  of  all  ages,  and  terminating  in  a  full 
development  of  the  opening  glories  of  the 
last  days. 

One  remarkable  instance,  concerning  Eli- 
jah the  Prophet,  was,  that  he  prophesied  to 
Ahab  that  it  should  not  rain  for  three  years 
and  upwards,  which  came  to  pass  according 
to  his  word.  There  is  also  a  remarkable 
instance  of  Hazael,  the  Syrian,  who  came  to 
Elisha  to  inquire  of  the  Lord  concerning  the 
king  of  Syria,  his  master,  who  was  sick.  The 
Prophet,  earnestly  beholding  him,  burst  into 
tears:  and  Hazael  asked  him,  saying,  "Why 
weepestthou?"andhe,  answering,  said,  "The 
Lord  hath  showed  me  that  thou  shalt  be 
king  over  Syria."  And  he  then  proceeded  to 
unfold  unto  him  the  cruelties  which  he 
would  afterwards  exercise  towards  Israel, 
which  are  too  horrible  to  mention  here,  lest  in 
so  doing  I  might,  offend  the  delicate  ear.  But 
Hazael,  astonished  to  hear  these  things  pre- 


SO    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

dieted  concerning  himself,  which  at  that  time 
filled  him  with  horror,  exclaimed  with  sur- 
prise, "But  what?  is  thy  servant  a  dog,  that 
he  should  do  this  great  thing?"  Yet  aston- 
ishing to  tell,  all  was  afterwards  fulfilled  to 
the  very  letter. 

In  the  21st  chapter,  2  Chron,,  it  is  written 
that  there  came  a  writing  to  Jehoram  from 
Elijah,  which,  after  stating  the  great  wicked- 
ness of  which  he  had  been  guilty,  in  turning 
to  idolatry,  and  also  murdering  his  brethren 
of  his  father's  house,  who  were  better  than 
himself,  proceeds  thus:  "Behold,  with  a 
great  plague  will  the  Lord  smite  thy  people, 
and  thy  children,  and  thy  wives,  and  all  thy 
goods;  and  thou  shalthave  great  sickness  by 
disease  of  the  bowels,  until  thy  bowels  fall 
out,  by  reason  of  thy  sickness,  day  by  day." 
In  the  same  chapter  it  is  written,  that  the 
Philistines  and  Arabians  came  against  him, 
and  took  his  wives,  and  children,  and  goods 
captive;  and  after  all  this,  the  Lord  smote 
him  in  his  bowels  with  an  incurable  disease, 
and  his  bowels  fell  out  by  reason  of  his  sick- 
ness, so  he  died  of  sore  disease. 

In  the  6th  chapter  of  Joshua,  26th  verse, 
there  is  a  wonderful  prediction  concerning 
Jericho:  "Cursed  be  the  man  before  the 
Lord,  that  riseth  up  and  buildeth  this  eity 


PKOPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.          31 

Jericho.  He  shall  lay  the  foundation  thereof 
in  his  first-born,  and  in  his  youngest  son 
shall  he  set  up  the  gates  of  it." 

After  this  curse  the  city  of  Jericho  lay 
waste  for  ages,  none  daring  to  rebuild  it  at  the 
expense  of  their  first-born  and  of  their 
youngest  son;  until  after  a  long  succession  of 
judges  and  kings,  when  hundreds  of  years 
had  passed,  Hiel  the  Bethelite,  who  lived  in 
the  days  of  Ahab,  probably  supposing  that 
the  Lord  had  forgotten  the  curse  pronounced 
upon  it  by  Joshua,  ventured  to  rebuild  the 
city:  but  no  sooner  had  he  laid  the  founda- 
tion thereof  than  Abiram  his  first-born  died, 
and,  still  persevering  in  the  hardness  of  his 
heart,  he  set  up  the  gates  thereof,  with  the 
loss  of  his  youngest  son,  Segub,  according  to 
the  word  of  the  Lord  by  Joshua;  see  1  Kings, 
xvi,  34.  We  might  fill  a  volume  with  instan- 
ces of  a  similar  kind,  dispersed  through  the 
historical  part  of  the  Scriptures;  but  we  for- 
bear, in  order  to  hasten  to  a  more  full  exami- 
nation of  the  books  of  the  Jewish  Prophets. 
We  shall  trace  them  in  their  fulfilment  upon 
Jerusalem,  Babylon,  Tyre,  Egypt,  and  vari- 
ous other  nations. 

Babylon,  the  most  ancient  and  renowned 
city  of  the  world,  was  pleasantly  situated  on 
the  banks  of  a  majestic  river,  that  flowed 


32    PKOPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

through  the  plains  of  Shinar,  near  to  which 
the  tower  of  Babel  once  stood.  It  was  laid 
out  four  square,  and  surrounded  with  a  wall 
upwards  of  three  hundred  feet  high,  and 
sixty  miles  in  circumference;  having  a  hun- 
dred gates  of  brass  with  bars  of  iron;  twenty- 
five  gates  on  each  side,  which  opened  to 
streets  running  through  the  city,  a  distance 
of  fifteen  miles;  thus  forming  the  whole  city 
into  exact  squares  of  equal  size.  In  the 
midst  of  these  squares  were  beautiful  gardens, 
adorned  with  trees  and  walks,  diversified 
with  flowers  of  varied  hue;  while  the  houses 
were  built  upon  the  borders  of  the  squares, 
directly  fronting  on  the  streets.  In  the  midst 
of  this  city  sat  Nebuchadnezzar,  enthroned 
in  royal  splendor  and  magnificence,  and 
swaying  his  sceptre  over  all  the  kingdoms  of 
the  world,  when  it  pleased  God,  in  a  vision 
of  the  night,  to  unveil  the  dark  curtain  of 
the  future,  and  to  present  before  him,  at  one 
view,  the  history  of  the  world,  even  down  to 
the  consummation  of  all  things.  Behold,  a 
great  image  stood  before  him,  whose  head 
was  of  fine  gold,  his  breast  and  arms  of  silver, 
his  belly  and  thighs  of  brass,  his  legs  of  iron, 
his  feet  and  toes  part  of  iron  and  part  of  miry 
clay.  He  beheld,  till  a  stone  was  cut  out  of 
the  mountain  without  hands,  which  smote 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.     33 

the  image  upon  the  feet,  which  were  part  of 
iron  and  part  of  clay,  and  brake  them  in 
pieces;  then  was  the  iron,  the  brass,  the 
silver,  and  the  gold,  broken  to  pieces  together, 
and  became  as  the  chaff  of  the  summer 
threshing-floors;  and  the  wind  carried  them 
away,  and  there  was  no  place  found  for  them; 
but  the  stone  which  smote  the  image  became 
a  great  mountain,  and  filled  the  whole  earth. 
When  Daniel  was  brought  in  before  the  king, 
to  tell  the  dream  and  the  interpretation,  he 
exclaimed,  "There  is  a  God  in  heaven  that 
revealeth  secrets,  and  maketh  known  to  the 
king,  Nebuchadnezzar,  what  shall  be  in  the 
latter  days."  Then,  after  telling  the  dream, 
he  continues  thus:  "Thou,  O  king,  art  a  king 
of  kings;  for  the  God  of  heaven  hath  given 
thee  a  kingdom,  power,  and  strength,  and 
glory.  And  wheresoever  the  children  of  men 
dwell,  the  beasts  of  the  field  and  the  fowls  of 
the  heaven  hath  he  given  into  thine  hand, 
and  hath  made  thee  ruler  over  them  all. 
Thou  art  this  head  of  gold.  And  after  thee 
shall  arise  another  kingdom  inferior  to  thee, 
and  another  third  kingdom  of  brass,  which 
shall  bear  rule  over  all  the  earth.  And  the 
fourth  kingdom  shall  be  strong  as  iron: 
forasmuch  as  iron  breaketh  in  pieces  and 
subdueth  all  things',  and  as  iron  that  breaketh 


34          PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

all  these,  shall  it  break  in  pieces  and  bruise. 
And  whereas  thou  sawest  the  feet  and  toes, 
part  of  potters'  clay,  and  part  of  iron,  the 
kingdom  shall  be  divided:  but  there  shall  be 
in  it  of  the  strength  of  the  iron,  forasmuch 
as  thou  sawest  the  iron  mixed  with  miry 
clay.  And  as  the  toes  of  the  feet  were  part  of 
iron,  and  part  of  clay,  so  the  kingdom  shall 
be  partly  strong,  and  partly  broken.  And 
whereas  thou  sawest  iron  mixed  with  miry 
clay,  they  shall  mingle  themselves  with  the 
seed  of  men:  but  they  shall  not  cleave  one 
to  another,  even  as  iron  is  not  mixed  with 
cJay.  And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall 
the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a  kingdom,  which 
shall  never  be  destroyed:  and  the  kingdom 
shall  not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it  shall 
break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  king- 
doms, and  it  shall  stand  forever.  Forasmuch 
as  thou  sawest  that  the  stone  was  cut  out  of 
the  mountain  without  hands,  and  that  it 
brake  in  pieces  the  iron,  the  brass,  the  clay, 
the  silver,  and  the  gold;  the  great  God  hath 
made  known  to  the  king  what  shall  come  to 
pass  hereafter;  and  the  dream  is  certain,  and 
the  interpretation  thereof  sure." 

In  this  great  view  of  the  subject  we  have 
presented  before  us,  in  succession,  first,  the 
kingdom  of  Nebuchadnezzar;  second,  the 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.    35 

Meies  and  Persians,  who  took  Babylon  from 
Belshazzar,  and  reigned  over  all  the  earth; 
third,  the  Greeks  under  Alexander,  who 
conquered  the  world,  and  reigned  in  the 
midst  of  Babylon;  and  fourth,  the  Roman 
empire,  which  subdued  all  things;  fifth,  its 
division  into  eastern  and  western  empires, 
and  its  final  breaking  up  or  subdivision  into 
the  various  kingdoms  of  modern  Europe, 
represented  by  the  feet  and  toes,  part  of  iron 
and  part  of  clay.  And,  lastly,  we  have  pre- 
sented before  us  an  entirely  new  kingdom, 
organized  by  the  God  of  heaven  in  the  last 
days,  or  during  the  reign  of  these  kings, 
represented  by  the  feet  and  toes.  This  last 
kingdom  was  never  to  change  masters,  like 
all  the  kingdoms  which  had  gone  before  it. 
It  was  never  to  be  left  to  another  people. 
It  was  to  break  in  pieces  all  these  kingdoms, 
and  stand  forever.  Many  suppose  that  this 
last  kingdom  alluded  to  was  the  kingdom  of 
God  which  was  organized  in  the  days  of 
Christ,  or  his  Apostles.  But  a  greater  blunder 
could  not  exist;  the  kingdom  of  God  set  up 
in  the  days  of  Christ,  or  his  Apostles,  did  not 
break  in  pieces  any  of  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world:  it  was  itself  warred  against  and 
overcome,  in  fulfilment  of  the  words  of 
Daniel,  chapter  vii,  21,  "I  beheld,  and  the 


36    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

same  horn  made  war  with  the  saints,  and 
prevailed  against  them;"  also  22d  verse, 
"Until  the  Ancient  of  Days  came,  and  judg- 
ment was  given  to  the  saints  of  the  Most 
High;  and  the  time  came  that  the  saints 
possessed  the  kingdom;"  also  verse  27th, 
"And  the  kingdom  and  dominion,  and  the 
greatness  of  the  kingdom,  under  the  whole 
heaven,  shall  be  given  to  the  people  of  the 
saints  of  the  Most  High,  whose  kingdom  is 
an  everlasting  kingdom;  and  all  dominions 
shall  serve  and  obey  him." 

John  records,  Rev.  xiii.  7,  "And  it  was 
given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints, 
and  to  overcome  them;  and  power  was  given 
him  over  all  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and 
nations."  In  fulfilment  of  these  sayings, 
power  has  been  given  to  the  authorities  of 
the  earth  to  kill  the  Apostles  and  inspired 
men,  until,  if  any  remained,  they  were 
banished  from  among  men,  or  forced  to 
retire  to  the  desolate  islands,  or  the  dens  and 
caves  of  the  mountains  of  the  earth,  being 
men  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy; 
while  at  the  same  time,  many  false  prophets 
and  teachers  were  introduced  in  their  place, 
whom  men  heaped  to  themselves,  because 
they  would  not  endure  sound  doctrine.  In 
this  way  the  kingdom  of  God  became  dis- 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.    37 

organized,  and  lost  from  among  men,  and 
the  doctrines  and  churches  of  men  instituted 
in  its  place.  But  we  design  to  speak  more 
fully  on  this  subject  when  we  come  to  treat 
on  the  subject  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Suffice 
it  to  say,  that  the  kingdom  spoken  of  by 
Daniel  is  something  to  be  organized  in  the  last 
days,  by  the  God  of  heaven  Himself,  without 
the  aid  of  human  institutions  or  the  precepts 
of  men.  And,  when  once  organized,  it  will 
never  cease  to  roll;  all  the  powers  of  earth 
and  hell  will  not  impede  its  progress,  until  at 
length  the  Ancient  of  Days  shall  sit,  and  the 
Lord  Jesus  will  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven, 
with  power  and  great  glory,  as  the  King  of 
kings,  and  Lord  of  lords,  and  destroy  all 
these  kingdoms,  and  give  the  kingdom  and 
the  greatness  of  the  kingdom,  under  the 
whole  heaven,  to  the  Saints.  Then  there  will 
be  but  one  Lord,  and  His  name  one,  and  He 
shall  be  King  over  all  the  earth. 

We  will  now  return  to  Nebuchadnezzar, 
whom  the  Lord,  by  the  mouth  of  Jeremiah, 
calls  His  servant,  to  execute  His  judgment 
upon  the  nations.  It  seems  that  the  Lord 
exalted  this  great  man,  and  made  him  a  king 
of  kings,  and  lord  of  lords,  arming  him  with 
His  own  sword,  and  clothing  him  with 
power  and  authority,  for  the  express  purpose 


38    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

of  executing  His  judgments,  and  scourging 
and  humbling  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 
Jeremiah,  chapter  xxv,  says  that  the  Lord 
purposed  to  bring  Nebuchadnezzar  and  his 
army  against  Jerusalem,  and  against  all  the 
nations  round  about,  that  he  might  bring 
them  to  desolation  and  captivity  for  seventy 
years;  and  after  seventy  years,  He  would 
turn  and  punish  the  king  of  Babylon  and 
that  nation  for  their  iniquity.  Now,  who  can 
trace  the  history  of  the  fulfilment  of  these 
great  events,  so  exactly  pointed  out  by 
Jeremiah,  Isaiah,  and  Ezekiel,  and  not  be 
struck  with  astonishment  and  wonder  at  the 
marvellous  gift  of  prophecy  enabling  men  in 
those  days  to  read  the  history  of  the  future 
as  they  read  the  history  of  the  past?  Indeed, 
the  reader  of  history  in  the  nineteenth 
century,  holding  in  his  hand  the  history  of  the 
Babylonians,  Medes  and  Persians,  Greeks, 
Romans  and  Egyptians,  together  with  that 
of  the  Jews,  will  hardly  render  himself 
more  familiar  with  the  events  which  trans- 
pired among  those  nations,  than  the  Prophets 
were  seventy  years  previous  to  their  accom- 
plishment. 

.  The  Jews  were  reduced  to  subjection  by 
Nebuchadnezzar;  their  city,  Jerusalem,  was 
burned,  together  with  their  temple;  their 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.    39 

princes,  nobles,  and  people  were  carried  to 
Babylon,  together  with  all  their  holy  things. 
All  the  particulars  of  this  destruction  and 
captivity  were  distinctly  foretold  by  Jeremiah, 
and  the  time  01  its  continuance,  viz.,  seventy 
years.  After  subduing  the  Jews,  the  king  of 
Babylon  marched  his  army  against  Tyre,  the 
city  of  merchants,  situated  at  the  haven  of  the 
sea,  surrounded  not  only  by  the  sea,  but  by  a 
strong  wall.  A  hold  so  strong  required  the 
utmost  skill  and  perseverance  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar and  his  whole  army,  who  labored 
incessantly  for  a  long  time,  and  at  length 
succeeded  in  taking  Tyre,  and  bringing  it 
into  captivity  for  seventy  years.  After  which 
they  returned  and  established  their  city,  for 
Jeremiah  had  previously  foretold  the  reduc- 
tion of  Tyre,  its  captivity  for  seventy  years, 
and  its  restoration  at  the  expiration  of  that 
time.  After  the  restoration  of  Tyre,  the  city 
flourished  for  a  time,  but  was  afterwards 
reduced  to  an  entire  desolation.  Its  ruined 
fragments  are  seen  to  this  day  in  the  bottom 
of  the  sea;  its  site  has  become  a  barren  rock, 
only  occupied  by  poor  fishermen.  All  this 
desolation,  and  even  its  present  appearance 
of  desolation  and  perpetual  waste,  were  clear- 
ly pointed  out  by  the  Prophets. 
But  when  the  king  of  Babylon  had  sue- 


40    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

ceeded  in  taking  Tyre,  after  'many  a  bald 
head  and  peeled  shoulder,  caused  by  the 
hard  service  of  his  army  in  the  siege,  the 
Lord,  by  the  mouth  of  Ezekiel,  promised  to 
give  the  spoils  of  Egypt  unto  him,  for  wages 
for  his  army,  in  order  to  pay  him  for  the 
great  service,  wherewith  he  had  served  God, 
against  Tyre.  Next,  witness  his  war  in  the 
taking  of  Egypt,  and  bringing  it  into  captiv- 
ity, until  the  seventy  years  were  accom- 
plished. 

And,  finally,  trace  him  executing  the 
Lord's  vengeance  and  anger  against  Uz,  upon 
the  kings  of  the  Philistines,  and  Askelon, 
Azaah;  Ekrom,  Edom,  Moab,  Arninon; 
Dedan,  Tema,  and  Buz;  and  upon  the  kings 
of  Arabia,  Zimri  and  Elam;  and  upon  all  the 
kings  of  the  Medes;  and  upon  all  the  kings 
of  the  north,  far  and  near;  and  finally  upon 
all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  who  were  to 
be  drunken,  and  spew,  and  fall  to  rise  no 
more,  because  of  the  sword  which  He  would 
send  among  them.  But,  when  the  Lord  had 
accomplished  all  his  mind  on  these  nations, 
He  purposed,  in  turn,  to  punish  this  great 
monarch,  and  those  who  succeeded  him; 
and  also  the  city  and  nation  over  which  he 
reigned;  and  finally  to  make  it  perpetual 
desolations.  And  all  this  for  their  pride  and 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.    41 

haughtiness.  The  Lord  exclaims:  "Shall 
the  ax  boast  itself  against  him  that  heweth 
therewith,  or  shall  the  saw  boast  itself  against 
him  that  shaketh  it?"  etc.  But,  in  order 
to  trace  the  events  of  the  return  of  the  Jews, 
and  the  other  nations,  from  their  seventy 
years'  captivity  and  bondage,  and  the  punish- 
ment of  Babylon,  another  and  very  different 
character  from  that  of  Nebuchadnezzar  is 
introduced  by  the  Prophets— one  who  is  in 
Scripture  termed  the  Lord's  anointed.  He 
may  be  considered  one  of  the  most  extra- 
ordinary characters  that  ever  the  heathen 
world  produced:  his  mildness,  courage, 
perseverance,  success,  and,  above  all,  his 
strict  obedience  to  the  command  of  that  God 
which  neither  he  nor  his  fathers  had  known, 
all  go  to  prove  that  Isaiah  was  not  mistaken 
when  he  called  him  by  name,  as  the  Lord's 
anointed,  to  deliver  the  nations  from  bondage, 
to  scourge  and  subdue  the  greatest  city  and 
monarchy  that  have  at  any  time  existed  on 
the  earth,  and  to  restore  the  Jews,  and  rebuild 
their  city  and  temple.  Indeed,  he  was  one 
of  those  few  whom  the  world  never  produces 
except  for  extraordinary  purposes.  But  let 
us  hear  the  Prophet's  own  description  of 
him,  Isaiah,  chapter  xlv:  "Thus  saith  the 
Lord  to  his  anointed,  to  Cyrus,  whose  right 


42    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

hand  I  have  holden  to  subdue  nations  before 
him:  and  I  will  loose  the  loins  of  kings,  to 
open  before  him  the  two-leaved  gates,  and 
the  gates  shall  not  be  shut.  I  will  go  before 
thee,  and  make  the  crooked  places  straight: 
I  will  break  in  pieces  the  gates  of  brass,  and 
cut  in  sunder  the  bars  of  iron.  And  I  will 
give  thee  the  treasures  of  darkness,  and 
hidden  riches  of  secret  places,  that  thou 
mayest  know  that  I,  the  Lord,  which  call  thee 
by  thy  name,  am  the  God  of  Israel.  For 
Jacob  my  servant's  sake,  and  Israel  mine 
elect,  I  have  even  called  thee  by  thy  name: 
I  have  surnamed  thee,  though  thou  hast  not 
known  me.  I  am  the  Lord,  and  there  is 
none  else,  there  is  no  God  beside  me:  I  girded 
thee,  though  thou  hast  not  known  me:  that 
they  may  know  from  the  rising  of  the  sun, 
and  from  the  west,  that  there  is  none  besides 
me."  In  the  13th  verse,  he  says:  "I  have 
raised  him  up  in  righteousness,  and  I  will 
direct  all  his  ways:  he  shall  build  my  city, 
and  he  shall  let  go  my  captives,  not  for  price 
nor  reward,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts."  The 
reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  Isaiah  lived 
about  one  hundred  years  before  the  Jewish 
captivity,  and  one  hundred  and  seventy  years 
before  Cyrus  caused  their  return. 
Here  I  would  pause  and  inquire,  What 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.    43 

power  but  the  power  of  the  great  God  could 
enable  one  man  to  call  another  by  name,  a 
century  before  his  birth,  and  also  to  foretell 
correctly  the  history  of  his  life?  What  must 
have  been  his  wonder  and  astonishment, 
when,  after  many  years  of  wars  and  com- 
motions, during  which  he  marched  forth, 
conquering  and  to  conquer,  gathering  as  a 
nest  the  riches  of  the  nations,  he  at  last 
pitched  his  camp  near  the  walls  of  the 
strongest  hold  in  all  the  earth?  He  gazed 
upon  its  walls  of  upwards  of  three  hundred 
feet  in  height,  with  its  gates  of  brass  and  its 
bars  of  iron:  the  people  within  feeling 
perfectly  safe,  with  provisions  enough  to 
last  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  for  several 
years.  How  could  he  think  of  taking  that 
city?  Who  would  not  have  shrunk  from 
such  an  undertaking,  unless  inspired  by  the 
great  Jehovah?  But,  turning  the  river 
Euphrates  from  its  course,  and  marching 
under  the  walls  of  the  city,  in  the  dried  bed 
of  the  river,  he  found  himself  in  possession 
of  the  city,  without  any  difficulty;  for 
Belshazzar,  the  king,  was  drinking  himself 
drunk,  with  his  nobles  and  concubines,  and 
that,  too,  from  the  vessels  of  the  House  of  the 
Lord  which  his  father  had  taken  from  Jeru- 
salem, and  his  knees  had  already  smote 


44    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

together  with  horror,  from  the  handwriting 
on  the  wall,  which  Daniel  had  just  been 
called  in  to  interpret,  giving  his  kingdom 
to  the  Medes  and  Persians.  Having  subdued 
this  great  monarchy,  he  seated  himself  upon 
the  throne  of  kingdoms;  and,  becoming 
familiar  with  Daniel,  he  was,  no  doubt, 
introduced  to  an  acquaintance  with  the 
Jewish  records,  and  then  the  mystery  was 
unfolded:  he  could  then  see  that  God  had 
called  him  by  name,  that  the  Almighty  hand 
girded  him  for  the  battle,  and  directed  all  his 
work;  he  could  then  understand  why  the 
treasures  of  the  earth  poured  themselves 
into  his  bosom,  and  why  the  loins  of  kings 
had  been  unloosed  before  him,  and  why  the 
gates  of  brass  had  been  opened,  and 
the  bars  of  iron  burst  asunder.  It  was 
that  he  might  know  that  there  was  a 
God  in  Israel,  and  none  else,  and  that 
all  idols  were  as  nothing;  that  he  might 
also  restore  the  Jews,  and  rebuild  their 
city  and  temple,  and  fulfil  God's  pur- 
poses upon  Babylon.  He  accordingly  issued 
his  proclamation  to  the  Jews  to  return,  and 
for  the  nations  to  assist  them  in  rebuilding, 
"for,"  said  he,  "God  hath  commanded  me  to 
build  him  an  house  at  Jerusalem."  Ezra, 
chapter  i,  2,  3,  says:  "Thus  saith  Cyrus,  king 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.          45 

of  Persia,  The  Lord  God  of  heaven  hath 
given  me  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth;  and 
he  hath  charged  me  to  build  him  an  house  at 
Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Judea.  Who  is  there 
among  you  of  all  his  people?  his  God  be 
with  him,  and  let  him  go  up  to  Jerusalem, 
which  is  in  Judea,  and  build  the  house  of  the 
Lord  God  of  Israel,  he  is  the  God  which  is  in 
Jerusalem. " 

What  powerful  argument,  what  mighty 
influence  was  it  which  caused  Cyrus  to  be 
convinced  that  it  was  the  God  of  heaven  who 
dwelt  at  Jerusalem,  who  alone  was  God,  and 
who  had  done  all  these  things?  He  had  not 
been  traditioned  in  the  belief  of  the  true 
God,  nor  of  the  holy  Scriptures.  Nay,  he 
had  ever  been  very  zealous  in  the  worship  of 
idols;  it  was  to  idols  he  looked  for  assistance 
in  the  former  part  of  his  life.  I  reply,  it  was 
the  power  of  God,  made  manifest  by  prophecy 
and  its  fulfilment;  not  in  a  spiritualized 
sense,  not  in  some  obscure,  uncertain,  or 
dark,  mysterious  way,  which  was  difficult  to 
be  understood;  but  in  positive,  literal,  plain 
demonstration,  which  none  could  gainsay  or 
resist.  Isaiah  says  that  this  was  the  object 
the  Lord  had  in  view  when  he  revealed  such 
plainness.  And  Cyrus  manifested  that  it  had 
the  desired  effect. 


46    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED, 

I  would  here  remark  that  when  we  come  to 
treat  of  that  part  of  prophecy  which  yet 
remains  to  be  fulfilled,  we  shall  bring  proof 
positive  that  the  heathen  nations  of  the  latter 
days  are  to  be  convinced  in  the  same  way 
that  Cyrus  was;  that  is,  there  are  certain 
events  plainly  predicted  in  the  Prophets,  yet 
future,  which,  when  fulfilled,  will  convince 
all  the  heathen  nations  of  the  true  God,  and 
they  shall  know  that  he  hath  spoken  and 
performed  it.  And  all  the  great  and  learned 
men  of  Christendom,  and  all  societies,  who 
put  any  other  than  a  literal  construction  on 
the  word  of  prophecy,  shall  stand  confound- 
ed, and  be  constrained  to  acknowledge  that 
all  has  come  to  pass  even  as  it  is  written. 

But  to  return  to  our  research  of  prophecy 
and  its  fulfilment.  The  Prophets  had  not 
only  predicted  the  reduction  of  Babylon  by 
Cyrus,  but  they  had  denounced  its  fate 
through  all  ages,  until  reduced  to  entire  des- 
olation, never  to  be  inhabited,  not  even  as  a 
temporary  residence  for  the  wandering  Arab  : 
"And  the  Arabian  shall  not  pitch  tent  there." 
See  Isaiah,  xiii,  19—22. 

Mr.  Joseph  Wolfe,  the  celebrated  Jewish 
missionary,  while  traveling  in  Chaldea,  in- 
quired of  the  Arabs  whether  they  pitched 
their  tents  among  the  ruins  of  Babylon,  to 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  JTJLFILLED.          47 

which  they  replied  in  the  negative,  declaring 
their  fears  that,  should  they  do  so,  Nimrod's 
ghost  would  haunt  them.  Thus  all  the  pre- 
dictions of  the  Prophets  concerning  that 
mighty  city  have  been  fulfilled. 

Edom  also  presents  a  striking  fulfilment  of 
plain  and  pointed  predictions  in  the  Prophets. 
These  predictions  were  pronounced  upon 
Edom  at  a  time  when  its  soil  was  very  pro- 
ductive and  well  cultivated,  and  everywhere 
abounding  in  flourishing  towns  and  cities. 
But  now  its  cities  have  become  heaps  of  des- 
olate ruins,  only  inhabited  by  the  cormorant, 
bittern,  and  by  wild  beasts,  serpents,  etc., 
and  its  soil  has  become  barren;  the  Lord  has 
cast  upon  it  the  line  of  confusion,  and  the 
stones  of  emptiness,  and  it  has  been  waste 
from  generation  to  generation,  in  express  ful- 
filment of  the  word  of  prophecy. 

We  will  now  give  a  passing  notice  of  the 
vision  of  Daniel, recorded  in  the  eighth  chap- 
ter of  his  prophecies, concerning  the  ram  and 
the  goat.  The  reader  would  do  well  to  frurn 
and  read  the  whole  chapter;  but  we  will 
iffiore  particularly  notice  the  interpretation, 
as  it  was  given  him  by  Gabriel ^irecorded  from 
the  nineteenth  to  the  twenty-fifth  verses. 
And  he  said:  "I  will  make  thee  know 
what  shall  be  in  the  last  eud  of  the  in- 


48          PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

dignation,  for  at  the  time  appointed  the 
end  shall  be.  The  ram  which  thou 
sawest  having  two  horns,  are  the  kings 
of  Media  and  Persia:  and  the  rough  goat  is 
the  king  of  Grecia;  and  the  great  horn  that  is 
between  the  eyes  is  the  first  king.  Now  that 
being  broken,  whereas  four  stood  up  for  it, 
four  kingdoms  shall  stand  up  out  of  the 
nation,  but  not  in  his  power.  And  in  the 
latter  time  of  their  kingdom,  when  the  trans- 
gressors are  come  to  the  full,  a  king  of  fierce 
countenance,  and  understanding  dark  sen- 
tences, shall  stand  up;  and  his  power  shall 
be  mighty,  but  not  by  his  own  power;  and 
he  shall  destroy  wonderfully,  and  shall  pros- 
per, and  practise,  and  shall  destroy  the 
mighty  and  the  holy  people;  and  through 
his  policy  also  he  shall  cause  craft  to  prosper 
in  his  hand,  and  he  shall  magnify  himself  in 
his  heart,  and  by  peace  shall  destroy  many; 
he  shall  also  stand  up  against  the  Prince  of 
princes;  but  he  shall  be  broken  without 
hand."  In  this  vision  we  have  first  presented 
the  Medes  and  Persians,  as  they  were  to  exist 
until  they  were  conquered  by  Alexander  the 
Great.  Now,  it  is  a  fact  well  known  that  this 
empire  waxed  exceedingly  great  for  some 
time  after  the  death  of  Daniel,  pushing  its 
conquests  westward,  northward,  and  south- 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED     49 

ward,  so  that  none  could  stand  before  it; 
until  Alexander,  the  king  of  Grecia,  came 
from  the  west,  with  a  small  army  of  chosen 
men,  and  attacked  the  Persians  upon  the 
banks  of  the  river,  and  plunging  his  horse 
in,  and  his  army  following,  they  crossed,  and 
attacked  the  Persians,  who  stood  to  oppose 
them  on  the  bank  with  many  times  their 
number;  but,  notwithstanding  their  number, 
and  their  advantage  of  the  ground,  they  were 
totally  routed,  and  the  Grecians  proceeded  to 
overrun  and  subdue  the  country,  beating  the 
Persians  in  a  number  of  pitched  battles, 
until  they  were  entirely  subdued.  It  is  also 
well  known  that  Alexander,  the  king  of 
Greece,  went  forth  from  nation  to  nation, 
subduing  the  world  before  him,  until,  hav- 
ing conquered  the  world,  he  died  at  Babj'lon, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years.  And  thus, 
•when  he  had  waxed  strong,  the  great  horn 
was  broken,  and  for  it  came  up  four  notable 
ones  towards  the  four  winds  of  heaven.  His 
kingdom  was  divided  among  four  of  his  gen- 
erals, who  never  attained  unto  his  power. 
Now,  in  the  latter  time  of  their  kingdom, 
when  the  transgression  of  the  Jewish  nation 
was  come  to  the  full,  the  Roman  power  des- 
troyed the  Jewish  nation,  took  Jerusalem, 
caused  the  daily  sacrifice  to  cease,  and 


50    PROPHECY  ALBEADY  FULFILLED. 

not  only  that,  but  afterwards  destroyed 
the  mighty  and  holy  people,  that  is,  the 
Apostles  and  primitive  Christians,  who  were 
slain  by  the  authorities  at  Rome. 

Now,  let  me  inquire,  Does  the  history  of 
these  United  States  give  a  plainer  account  of 
past  events  than  Daniel's  wisdom  did  of  events 
which  were  then  future,  and  some  of  them 
reaching  down  the  stream  of  time  for  several 
hundred  years,  unfolding  events  which  no 
human  sagacity  could  possibly  have  foreseen? 
Man,  by  his  own  sagacity,  may  accomplish 
many  things;  he  may  plough  the  trackless 
ocean  without  wind  or  tide  in  his  favor;  he 
may  soar  aloft  amid  the  clouds  without  the 
aid  of  wings;  he  may  traverse  the  land  with 
astonishing  velocity  without  the  aid  of  beasts; 
or  he  may  convey  his  thoughts  to  his  fellows 
by  the  aid  of  letters.  But  there  is  a  principle 
which  he  can  never  attain  to;  no,  not  even  by 
the  wisdom  of  ages  combined;  money  will 
not  purchase  it;  it  comes  from  God  only,  and 
is  bestowed  upon  man  as  a  free  gift.  Says 
the  Prophet  to  the  idols,  "Tell  us  what  shall 
be,  that  we  may  know  that  ye  are  gods." 

We  will  now  proceed  to  show  how  exactly 
the  prophecies  were  fulfilled  liter  ally  in  the 
person  of  Jesus  Christ.  "Behold,"  said  the 
Prophet,  "a  virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.    51 

son."  Again,  Bethlehem  should  be  the  place 
of  his  birth,  and  Egypt,  where  he  sojourned 
with  his  parents,  the  place  out  of  which  he 
was  to  be  called.  He  turned  aside  to  Naza- 
reth, for  it  was  written,  "He  shall  be  called  a 
Nazarene."  He  rode  into  Jerusalem  upon  a 
colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass,  because  the  Prophet 
had  said,  "Behold  thy  King  cometh,  meek 
and  lowly,  riding  upon  a  colt,"  etc.  And 
again,  saith  the  Prophet:  "He  shall  be  afflict- 
ed and  despised;  he  shall  be  a  man  of  sorrows, 
and  acquainted  with  grief;  he  shall  be  led  as  a 
lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and,  like  a  sheep  dumb 
before  his  shearers,  so  he  opened  not  his 
mouth;  in  his  humiliation  his  judgment  was 
taken  away;  and  who  shall  declare  his  gen- 
eration, for  his  life  is  taken  from  the  earth. 
He  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  and 
by  his  stripes  we  are  healed;  he  was  numbered 
with  the  transgressors;  he  made  his  grave 
with  the  rich."  Not  a  bone  of  him  is  broken ; 
they  divide  his  raiment;  cast  lots  for  his 
vesture;  give  him  gall  and  vinegar  to  drink; 
betray  him  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver;  and 
finally,  when  it  was  finished,  lie  rested  in  the 
tomb  until  the  third  day,  and  then  rose 
triumphant,  without  seeing  corruption.  Now, 
kind  reader,  had  you  walked  up  and  down 
with  our  dear  Redeemer  during  his  whole 


52    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED, 

sojourn  in  the  flesh,  and  had  you  taken  paing 
to  record  the  particular  circumstances  of  his 
life  and  death,  as  they  occurred  from  time  to 
time,  your  history  would  not  be  a  plainer 
one  than  the  Prophets  gave  of  him  hundreds 
of  years  before  he  was  born.  There  is  one 
thing  we  would  do  well  to  notice  concerning 
the  manner  in  which  the  Apostles  interpreted 
prophecy,  and  that  is  this— they  simply 
quoted  it,  and  recorded  its  literal  fulfilment. 
By  pursuing  this  course,  they  were  enabled 
to  bring  it  home  to  the  hearts  of  the  people 
in  the  Jewish  synagogues,  with  such  con- 
vincing proof  that  they  were  constrained  to 
believe  the  supposed  impostor  whom  they 
had  crucified  was  the  Messiah.  But  had  they 
once  dreamed  of  rendering  a  spiritualizing 
or  uncertain  application,  like  the  teachers  of 
the  present  day,  all  would  have  been  uncer- 
tainty and  doubt,  and  demonstration  would 
have  vanished  from  the  earth. 

Having  taken  a  view  of  the  Old  Testament 
Prophets,  concerning  prophecy  and  its  ful- 
filment, and  having  shown  clearly  that 
nothing  but  a  literal  fulfilment  was  intended, 
the  objector  may  inquire  whether  the  same 
mode  will  apply  to  the  predictions  contained 
in  the  New  Testament.  We  will  therefore 
bring  a  few  important  instances  of  prophecy, 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.          53 

and  its  fulfilment,  from  the  New  Testament; 
after  which  we  shall  be  prepared  to  enter  the 
vast  field  which  is  still  future.  One  of  the 
most  remarkable  prophecies  in  sacred  writ  is 
recorded  by  Luke,  chap,  xxi,  20—24:  "And 
when  ye  shall  see  Jerusalem  compassed  with 
armies,  then  know  that  the  desolation  thereof 
is  nigh.  Then  let  them  which  are  in  Judea 
flee  to  the  mountains,  and  let  them  which  are 
in  the  midst  of  it  depart  out;  and  let  not  them 
that  are  in  the  countries  enter  thereinto;  for 
these  be  the  days  of  vengeance,  that  all  things 
which  are  written  may  be  fulfilled.  But  woe 
unto  them  that  are  with  child,  and  to  them 
that  give  suck  in  those  days;  for  there  shall 
be  great  distress  in  the  land,  and  wrath  upon 
this  people;  and  they  shall  fall  by  the  edge 
of  the  sword,  and  shall  be  led  away  captive 
into  all  nations;  and  Jerusalem  shall  be 
trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times 
of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled."  This  prophecy 
involves  the  fate  of  Jerusalem  and  the  temple, 
and  the  whole  Jewish  nation,  for  at  least 
eighteen  hundred  years.  About  the  year 
seventy,  the  Roman  army  compassed  Jeru- 
salem. The  disciples  remembered  the  warn- 
ing which  had  been  given  them  by  their 
Lord  and  Master  forty  years  before,  and  fled 
to  the  mountains.  The  city  of  Jerusalem 


54         PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

was  taken,  after  a  long  and  tedious  siege,  in 
which  the  Jews  suffered  the  extreme  of 
famine,  pestilence  and  the  sword;  filling 
houses  with  the  dead,  for  want  of  a  place  to 
bury  them,  while  women  ate  their  own  chil- 
dren, for  want  of  all  things.  In  this  struggle 
there  perished,  in  Judea,  near  one  million 
and  a  half  of  Jews,  besides  those  taken 
captive.  Their  country  was  laid  waste,  their 
city  burned,  their  temple  destroyed,  and  the 
miserable  remnant  dispersed  abroad  into  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth;  in  which  situation 
they  have  continued  ever  since,  being  driven 
from  one  nation  to  another,  often  falsely 
accused  of  the  worst  of  crimes,  for  which 
:  they  have  been  banished  and  their  goods 
.  confiscated.  Indeed,  they  have  been  mostly 
'  accounted  as  outlaws  among  the  various 
|  nations;  the  soles  of  their  feet  have  found  no 
rest,  and  they  have  been  a  hiss  and  a  by- 
word; and  people  have  said,  "These  are  the 
people  of  the  Lord,  and  are  gone  forth  out  of 
his  land."  x 

During  all  this  time  the  Gentiles  have 
possessed  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  trodden 
under  foot  the  holy  city  where  their  fore- 
fathers worshipped  the  Lord.  Now,  in  this 
long  captivity,  the  Jews  have  never  lost  sight 
of  the  promises  respecting  their  return.  Their 


PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED.     55 

eyes  have  watched  and  failed  with  longing 
for  the  day,  when  they  might  possess  again 
that  blessed  inheritance  bequeathed  to  their 
forefathers;  when  they  might  again  rear 
their  city  and  temple,  and  re-establish 
their  priesthood,  and  worship  as  in  days  of 
old.  Indeed  they  have  made  several  attempts 
to  return,  but  were  always  frustrated  in  all 
their  attempts;  for  it  was  an  unalterable 
decree,  that  Jerusalem  should  be  trodden 
down  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times  of  the 
Gentiles  should  be  fulfilled.  On  the  subject  of 
this  long  dispersion,  Moses  and  the  Prophets 
have  written  very  plainly;  indeed,  Moses 
even  mentioned  the  particulars  of  their  eat- 
ing their  children  secretly  in  the  siege  and 
in  the  straitness,  wherewith  their  enemies 
should  besiege  them  in  all  their  gates.  Who- 
ever will  read  the  twenty-eighth  of  Deuter- 
onomy, will  read  the  history  of  what  has 
befallen  the  Jews,  foretold  by  Moses  with  all 
the  clearness  that  characterizes  the  history 
of  past  events,  and  all  this  thousands  of 
years  before  its  accomplishment. 

Our  next  is  found  in  Acts  xxi,  10, 11,  where 
a  Prophet  named  Agabus  took  Paul's  girdle 
and  bound  his  own  hands  and  feet,  and  said: 
"Thus  saith  the  Holy  Ghost,  So  shall  the 
Jews  at  Jerusalem  bind  the  man  that  owneth 


56    PROPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

this  girdle,  and  shall  deliver  him  into  the 
hands  of  the  Gentiles. "  The  fulfilment  of 
this  prediction  is  too  well  known  to  need  any 
description.  We  therefore  proceed  to  notice 
a  prophecy  of  Paul,  recorded  in  2  Tim.  iv,  3, 
4:  "For  the  time  will  come,  when  they  will 
not  endure  sound  doctrine,  but,  after  their 
own  lusts,  shall  they  heap  to  themselves 
teachers,  having  itching  ears;  and  they  shall 
turn  away  their  ears  from  the  truth,  and 
shall  be  turned  unto  fables. "  This  prophecy 
has  been  fulfilled  to  the  very  letter;  for  it 
applies  to  every  religious  teacher  who  has 
arisen  from  that  day  unto  the  present,  except 
those  commissioned  by  direct  revelation  and 
inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  But,  to  con- 
vince the  reader  of  its  full  accomplishment, 
we  need  only  point  to  the  numberless  priests 
of  the  day  who  preach  for  hire,  and  divine 
for  money,  and  who  receive  their  authority 
from  their  fellow  man;  and  as  to  the  fables 
to  which  they  are  turned,  we  need  only  to 
mention  the  spiritualizings  and  private  in- 
terpretations which  salute  our  ears  from 
almost  every  religious  press  and  pulpit. 

But  there  is  another  prophecy  of  Paul  well 
worth  our  attention,  as  illustrative  of  the 
times  in  which  we  live;  it  is  found  in  the 
first  five  verses  of  the  third  chapter  of  2  Tim- 


PKOPHECY  ALKEADY  FULFILLED.          57 


othy:  "This  know  also  that  in  the  last  days 
perilous  times  shall  come;  for  men  shall  be 
lovers  of  their  own  selves,  covetous,  boasters, 
proud,  blasphemers,  disobedient  to  parents, 
unthankful,  unholy,  without  natural  affec- 
tion, truce  breakers,  false  accusers,  inconti- 
nent, fierce,  despisers  of  those  that  are  good, 
traitors,  heady,  high  minded,  lovers  of 
pleasures  more  than  lovers  of  God,  having  a 
form  of  godliness,  but  denying  the  power 
thereof:  from  such  turn  away.'*  From  the 
last  verse  of  this  quotation  we  learn  to  our 
astonishment  that  this  sum  of  awful  wicked" 
ness  applies  to  professors  of  religion  ONLY; 
that  is,  this  would  be  the  character  of  the  (so 
called)  Christian  part  of  the  community  in 
the  last  days.  Do  not  startle,  kind  reader; 
we  do  not  make  the  application  without 
proof  positive  to  the  point,  for,  remember, 
non-professors  have  no  form  of  godliness, 
but  those  ungodly  characters  spoken  of  were 
to  have  a  form  of  godliness,  denying  the  power 
thereof.  But,  if  you  doubt  Paul's  testimony 
on  the  subject,  look  around  you,  examine  for 
yourselves.  "By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know 
them."  My  heart  is  pained  while  I  write. 
Alas,  has  it  come  to  this;  has  the  Spirit  of 
Truth  removed  the  veil  of  obscurity  from  the 
last  days,  only  to  present  us  with  the  vision. 


58    PKOPHECY  ALREADY  FULFILLED. 

of  a  fallen  people;  an  apostate  church,  full  of 
all  manner  of  abominations,  and  even  des- 
pising those  who  are  good;  while  they  them- 
selves have  nothing  left  but  the  form  of  god- 
liness, denying  the  power  of  God;  that  is, 
setting  aside  the  direct  inspiration  and  super- 
natural gifts  of  the  Spirit,  which  ever  charac- 
terize the  Church  of  Christ?    Was  it  for  this 
only  that  the  Holy  Spirit  opened  to  the  view 
of  holy  men  the  events  of  unborn  time,  ena- 
bling them  to  gaze  upon  the  opening  glories 
of    the   latter   days?     O   ye   Prophets  and 
Apostles,  ye  holy  men  of  old,  what  have  you 
done  if   you  stop  here;    if  your  prophetic 
vision  only  extended  down  the  stream  of  , 
time  to  the  present  year?    Alas!  you  have 
filled  our  minds  with  sorrow  and  despair:  ; 
the  Jews  you  have  left  wandering  in  sorrow  1 
and  darkness,  far  from  all  their  hearts  hold  i 
most  dear  on  earth;  their  land  a  desolation,  1 
their  city  and   temple  in  ruins,  and  they  , 
without  the  knowledge  of  the  true  Messiah.  ' 
The  Gentiles,  after  partaking  of  the  root  and  ' 
fatness  of  the  tame  olive  tree,  having  fallen,  j 
after  the  same  example  of  unbelief,  are  left 
without  fruit,  dead,  plucked  up  by  the  roots,  ' 
with  naught  but  a  form  of  godliness;  while 
the  powers   that   characterized  the  ancient 
church  have  fled  from  among  men.    Is  this 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  59 

the  consummation  of  all  your  labors?  Was 
it  for  this  you  searched,  toiled,  bled,  and 
died?  I  pause  for  a  reply;  if  you  have  a 
word  of  comfort  yet  in  store,  concerning  the 
future,  let  it  quickly  speak,  lest  our  souls 
should  linger  in  the  dark  valley  of  sorrow 
and  despair! 


CHAPTER  II. 

ON  THE  FULFILMENT  OF  PROPHECY  YET 
FUTURE. 

What  is  Prophecy  but  History  reversed? 

HAVING  made  the  discovery  and  produced 
sufficient  proof  that  the  prophecies,  thus  far, 
have  been  LITERALLY  fulfilled— to  the  very 
letter— we  hope  the  reader  will  never  lose 
sight  of  the  same  rule  with  regard  to  those 
yet  future.  And,  while  we  stand  upon  the 
threshold  of  futurity,  with  the  wonders  of 
unborn  time  about  to  open  upon  our  view, 
presenting  before  our  astonished  vision  the 


60  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

most  mighty  and  majestic  scenes,  the  most 
astonishing  revolutions,  the  most  extraordi- 
nary destructions,  as  well  as  the  most  mirac- 
ulous displays  of  the  power  and  majesty  of 
Jehovah,  in  His  great  restoration  of  His  long 
dispersed  covenant  people  from  the  four 
quarters  of  the  earth:  I  say,  as  these  scenes 
are  about  to  open  to  our  view,  let  us  bow 
before  the  great  I  AM,  in  the  name  of  Jesus, 
and  pray  in  faith  for  His  Spirit  to  enlarge 
our  hearts  and  enlighten  our  minds,  that  we 
may  understand  and  believe  all  that  is  written, 
however  miraculous  it  may  be.  But,  O! 
kind  reader,  whoever  you  are,  if  you  are  not 
prepared  for  persecution,  if  you  are  unpre- 
pared to  have  your  name  cast  out  as  evil,  if 
you  cannot  bear  to  be  called  a  knave,  an 
impostor,  or  madman,  or  one  that  hath  a 
devil;  or  if  you  are  bound  by  the  creeds  of 
men  to  believe  just  so  much  and  no  more, 
you  had  better  stop  here;  for  if  you  were  to 
believe  the  things  written  in  the  Bible  that 
are  yet  to  come,  you  will  be  under  the  neces- 
sity of  believing  miracles,  signs  and  won- 
ders, revelations,  and  manifestations  of  the 
power  of  God,  even  beyond  anything  that 
any  former  generation  has  witnessed;  yes, 
you  will  believe  that  the  waters  will  be  di- 
vided and  Israel  go  through  dryshod,  as  they 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  (51 

journey  to  their  own  land,  as  they  did  in  the 
days  of  Moses;  for  no  man  ever  yet  believed 
the  Bible  without  believing  and  expecting 
such  glorious  events  in  the  latter  days.  And 
I  will  now  venture  to  say  that  a  believer  in  the 
Bible  would  be  something  that  very  few  men 
have  ever  seen  in  this  generation,  with  all  its 
boasted  religion:  for  there  is  a  great  differ- 
ence between  believing  the  book  to  be  true 
when  shut,  and  believing  the  things  therein 
written.  It  is  now  considered  in  Christen- 
dom a  great  disgrace  not  to  believe  the  Bible 
when  shut:  but  whosoever  tries  the  experi- 
ment will  find  it  a  greater  disgrace  to  believe 
that  the  things  therein  written  will  surely 
come  to  pass.  Indeed,  it  is  our  firm  belief  in 
the  things  written  in  the  Bible,  and  careful 
teaching  of  them,  that  is  one  great  cause  of 
the  persecution  we  suffer.  For  let  the  prophe- 
cies be  understood  by  the  people,  and  let 
them  roll  on  in  their  fulfilment,  and  this  will 
blow  to  the  four  winds  every  religious  craft 
in  Christendom,  and  cause  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  to  rise  upon  their  ruins,  while  the 
actual  knowledge  of  the  truth  will  cover  the 
earth  as  the  waters  do  the  sea. 

Having  said  so  much  by  way  of  caution,  if 
there  are  any  of  my  readers  so  bold,  and 
regardless  of  consequences,  as  to  dare  with 


62  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

me  to  gaze  upon  the  future,  we  will  com- 
mence with  Isaiah  xi,  11,  12,  15,  16:  "And 
it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  Lord 
shall  set  his  hand  again  the  second  time  to 
recover  the  remnant  of  his  people,  which 
shall  be  left,  from  Assyria,  and  from  Egypt, 
and  from  Pathros,  and  from  Gush,  and  from 
Elam,  and  from  Shinar,  and  from  Hamath, 
and  from  the  islands  of  the  sea.  And  he 
shall  set  up  an  ensign  for  the  nations,  and 
shall  assemble  the  outcasts  of  Israel,  and 
gather  together  the  dispersed  of  Judah  from 
the  four  corners  of  the  earth.  And  the  LORD 
shall  utterly  destroy  the  tongue  of  the  Egyp- 
tian Sea;  and  with  his  mighty  wind  shall  he 
shake  his  hand  over  the  river,  and  shall 
smite  it  in  the  seven  streams,  and  make  men 
go  over  dryshod.  And  there  shall  be  an 
highway  for  the  remnant  of  his  people,  which 
shall  be  left  from  Assyria;  like  as  it  was  to 
Israel  in  the  day  that  he  came  up  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt," 

Here  you  behold  an  ensign  to  be  reared  for 
the  nations;  not  only  for  the  dispersed  of 
Judah,  but  the  outcasts  of  Israel.  The  Jews 
are  called  dispersed,  because  they  are  scat- 
tered among  the  nations;  but  the  ten  tribes 
are  called  outcasts,  because  they  are  cast  out 
from  the  knowledge  of  the  nations,  into  a 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  63 

land  by  themselves.  Now,  the  reader  will 
bear  in  mind  that  that  the  ten  tribes  have  not 
dwelt  in  the  land  of  Canaan  since  they  were 
led  captive  by  Shalmaneser,  king  of  Assyria. 
We  have  also  presented  before  us,  in  the  fif- 
teenth verse,  the  marvelous  power  of  God, 
which  will  be  displayed  in  the  destruction  of 
a  small  branch  of  the  Red  Sea,  called  the 
tongue  of  the  Egyptian  Sea;  and  also  the 
dividing  of  the  seven  streams  of  some  river, 
and  causing  men  to  go  over  dryshod;  and, 
lest  any  should  not  understand  it  literally, 
the  fifteenth  verse  says:  "There  shall  be  a 
highway  for  the  remnant  of  his  people,  which 
shall  be  left  from  Assyria,  like  as  it  was  to 
Israel  when  he  came  up  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt*"  Now,  we  have  only  to  ask  whether, 
in  the  days  of  Moses,  the  Red  Sea  was  liter- 
ally divided,  or  whether  it  was  only  a  figure? 
For  as  it  was  then  so  shall  it  be  again.  And 
yet  we  are  told  by  modern  divines  that  the 
days  of  miracles  have  gone  forever;  and 
those  who  believe  in  miracles,  in  our  day,  are 
counted  as  impostors,  or,  at  least,  poor  igno- 
rant fanatics,  and  the  public  are  warned 
against  them,  as  false  teachers  who  would,  if 
possible,  deceive  the  very  elect.  On  the  sub- 
ject of  this  restoration  the  Prophets  have 
Spoken  so  fully  and  repeatedly,  that  we  can 


64  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

only  notice  a  few  of  the  most  striking  instan- 
ces, which  will  go  to  show  the  particular  cir- 
cumstances and  incidents  attending  it,  and 
the  manner  and  means  of  its  accomplish- 
ment. The  sixteenth  chapter  of  Jeremiah, 
fourteenth,  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  verses, 
says:  "Therefore,  behold,  the  days  come, 
saith  the  Lord,  that  it  shall  no  more  be  said, 
the  Lord  liveth  that  brought  up  the  children 
of  Israel  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt;'  but,  the 
Lord  liveth  that  brought  up  the  children  of 
Israel  from  the  land  of  the  north,  and  from 
all  the  lands  whither  he  had  driven  them: 
and  I  will  bring  them  again  into  their  land 
that  I  gave  unto  their  fathers.  Behold,  I 
will  send  for  many  fishers,  saith  the  Lord, 
and  they  shall  fish  them;  and  after  will  I 
send  for  many  hunters,  and  they  shall  hunt 
them  from  every  mountain,  and  from  every 
hill,  and  out  of  the  holes  of  the  rocks."  Now 
it  has  ever  been  the  case  with  Israel,  when 
they  wished  to  express  the  greatness  of  their 
God,  to  say,  The  Lord  liveth,  which  brought 
up  our  fathers  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 
This  saying  at  once  called  to  mind  the  power 
and  miracles  of  that  memorable  eventt  and 
associated  with  it  all  that  was  great  and 
grand,  and  was  calculated  to  strike  the  mind 
with  awe,  under  a  lively  sens©  of  the  power 


FBOPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  65 

of  Israel's  God.  But,  to  our  astonishment, 
something  is  yet  to  transpire  which  will  cast 
into  momentary  forgetfulness  all  the  great 
events  of  that  day,  and  the  children  of  Israel 
shall  know  that  their  God  liveth,  by  casting 
their  minds  upon  events  of  recent  date, 
which  shall  have  transpired,  still  more  glori- 
ous and  wonderful  than  their  coming  out  of 
Egypt.  They  will  exclaim,  The  Lord  liveth, 
which  recently  brought  the  children  of  Israel 
from  the  north,  and  from  all  lands  whither 
He  had  driven  them,  and  hath  planted  them 
in  the  land  of  Canaan,  which  He  gave  our 
fathers.  With  this  idea  will  be  associated 
every  display  of  grandeur  and  sublimity,  of 
wonder  and  amazement;  while  they  call  to 
mind  the  revelations,  manifestations,  mira- 
cles and  mercies  displayed  in  bringing  about 
this  great  event,  in  the  eyes  of  all  the  nations. 
In  view  of  this,  Jeremiah  exclaims,  in  the 
last  verse  of  this  chapter:  "Therefore,  be- 
hold, I  will  this  once  cause  them  to  know,  I 
will  cause  them  to  know  mine  hand  and  my 
might;  and  they  shall  know  that  my  name  is 
the  Lord." 

But  the  means  made  use  of  to  bring  about 
this  glorious  event  are,  not  only  the  raising 
of  a  standard,  the  lifting  up  of  an  ensign,  so 

that  we  may  know  when  the  time  is  fulfilled, 
5 


68  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

but  fishers  and  hunters  are  to  be  employed 
to  fish  and  hunt  them  from  every  mountain, 
from  every  hill,  and  out  of  the  holes  of  the 
rocks.  Let  the  reader  mark  here:  men  weie 
not  to  send  missionaries,  who  were  not  in- 
spired, to  go  and  teach  Israel  several  hun- 
dred different  doctrines,  and  opinions  of  men, 
and  to  tell  them  they  supposed  the  time  had 
about  arrived  for  them  to  gather;  but  the 
God  of  heaven  is  to  call  men  by  actual  reve- 
lation, direct^from  heaven,  and  to  tell  them 
who  Israel  is;  who  the  Indians  of  America 
are,  if  they  should  be  of  Israel;  and  also 
where  the  ten  tribes  are.  and  all  the  scattered 
remnants  of  that  long  lost  people.  He  it  is 
who  is  to  give  them  their  errand  and  mission, 
and  to  clothe  them  with  power  from  on  high 
to  execute  the  great  work,  in  defiance  of  op- 
posing elements,  and  all  the  opposition  of 
earth  and  heli  combined.  But  do  you  ask: 
"Why  is  the  Lord  to  commission  men  by 
actual  revelation?"  I  reply,  because  He  has 
110  other  way  of  sending  men  in  any  age* 
"No  man,"saystheApostle,"taketh  this  honor 
upon  himself,  but  he  that  is  called  of  God,  as 
was  Aaron."  Now,  we  all  acknowledge  that 
Aaron  was  called  by  revelation. 

Now   the  great   Jehovah    never  did,   nor 
never  will,  acknowledge  the  priesthood  or 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  67 

ministry  of  any  man  who  is  not  called  by 
revelation,  and  inspired,  as  in  days  of  old. 
But,  "O!"  says  the  reader,  "you  startle  me, 
for  the  whole  train  of  modern  divines  profess 
no  revelation  later  than  the  Bible,  and  no 
direct  inspiration  or  supernatural  gift  of  the 
Spirit.  Do  you  cast  them  all  off,  and  say  that 
they  have  no  authority?"  I  reply,  No,  for 
the  Bible  does  it,  and  I  only  humbly  acquiesce 
in  the  decision,  as  they  are  nowhere  known 
in  the  Scripture,  except  as  teachers  whom  the 
people  have  heaped  to  themselves  (the  word 
heap  does  not  mean  a  few,  but  many).  But 
to  prove  more  fully  that  God  will  give  reve- 
lations in  order  to  bring  about  this  glorious 
work,  we  will  refer  you  to  Ezekiel  xx,  33 — 38. 
It  reads:  "As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord  God, 
surely  with  a  mighty  hand,  and  with  a 
stretched  out  arm,  and  with  fury  poured  out, 
will  I  rule  over  you ;  and  I  will  bring  you 
out  from  the  people,  and  will  gather  you  out 
of  the  countries  wherein  ye  are  scattered, 
with  a  mighty  hand,  and  with  a  stretched 
out  arm,  and  with  fury  poured  out.  And  I 
will  bring  you  into  the  wilderness  of  the 
people,  and  there  will  I  plead  with  you  face 
to  face.  Like  as  I  pleaded  with  your  fathers 
in  the  wilderness  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  so 
will  I  plead  with  you,  saith  the  Lord  God. 


68  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE, 

And  I  will  cause  you  to  pass  under  the  rod, 
and  I  will  bring  you  into  the  bond  of  the 
covenant,  and  I  will  purge  out  from  among 
you  the  rebels,  and  them  that  transgress 
against  me;  I  will  bring  them  forth  out  of 
the  country  where  they  sojourn,  and  they 
shall  not  enter  into  the  land  of  Israel;  and  ye 
shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord." 

You  discover  that  this  promise  begins  with 
a  double  assurance:  first,  with  an  oath,  as  I 
live;  second,  with  an  assurance,  surely j  with 
a  mighty  hand,  etc.  And,  in  the  close  of  the 
same  chapter,  lest  the  people  should  possibly 
misunderstand  him,  he  exclaims:  "O  Lord, 
they  say  of  me,  doth  he  not  speak  in  par- 
ables?" Here  we  have  the  children  of  Israel 
brought  from  among  all  nations,  with  a 
mighty  hand  and  a  stretched  out  arm,  and 
with  fury  poured  out  (O  ye  nations  who  oppose 
these  things,  beware,  remember  Pharaoh,  and 
learn  wisdom),  we  see  them  brought  into  the 
wilderness  of  the  people;  and  there  the  Lord 
is  to  plead  with  them,  face  to  face,  just  as  he 
did  with  tbeir  fathers  in  the  wilderness  of 
Egypt.  This  pleading  face  to  face  can  never 
be  done  without  revelation,  and  a  personal 
manifestation,  as  much  so  as  in  old  times. 
Now  I  ask,  were  all  His  manifestations  to 
Israel  in.  the  wilderness  mere  fables  not  to  b© 


PROPHECY  YET   FUTURE.  69 

understood  literally?  If  so,  this  will  be  so 
too;  for  one  will  be  precisely  like  the  other, 
no  parable,  but  a  glorious  reality.  He  will 
cause  them  to  pass  under  the  rod,  and  bring 
them  into  the  bond  of  the  covenant. 

This  brings  to  mind  the  new  covenant  so 
often  promised  in  the  Scriptures,  to  be  made 
with  the  house  of  Israel  and  with  the  house  of 
Judah,  just  in  time  to  gather  them  from  their 
long  dispersion.  Some  may  suppose  that  the 
new  covenant  which  was  to  gather  Israel  made 
its  appearance  in  the  days  of  Christ  and  his 
Apostles.  But  Paul  tells  us  it  was  yet  future  in 
his  day.  So,  in  his  eleventh  chapter  to  the  Ro- 
mans, he  says,  "that  blindness  in  part  is  hap- 
pened to  Israel,  until  the  fulness  of  the  Gen- 
tiles be  come  in,  and  so  all  Israel  shall  be 
saved;  as  it  is  written,  There  shall  come  out  of 
Sion  the  Deliverer,  and  shall  turn  away  ungod- 
liness from  Jacob,  for  this  is  my  covenant  unto 
them,  when  I  shall  take  away  their  sins." 
From  this  we  learn  that  Paul  placed  that  cov- 
enant in  the  future,  even  down  to  the  restora- 
tion of  Israel,  in  the  last  days,  when  the 
times  of  the  Gentiles  should  be  fulfilled. 
Then  there  should  come  a  Deliverer  for 
Israel,  and  not  before,  seeing  that  they  had 
rejected  the  first  coming  of  that  Deliverer. 
And  he  himself  said  to  the  Jews:  "Behold, 


70  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate;  for  I  say 
unto  you,  ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth  till 
ye  shall  say,  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord."  Then,  and  not  until 
then,  should  the  covenant  be  renewed  with 
Israel.  And  even  when  the  Apostles  in- 
quired, saying,  "Wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore 
again  the  kingdom  to  Israel?"  the  Savior 
made  answer,  that  it  was  not  for  them  to 
know  the  times  and  seasons  which  the  Father 
had  put  in  His  own  power;  but  they  were  to 
receive  power,  and  bear  witness  of  Him,  etc.; 
as  much  as  to  say,  that  work  is  not  for  you 
Apostles  to  accomplish,  but  shall  be  done  in 
the  Lord's  own  time,  by  whom  He  will;  but 
go  ye  and  do  the  work  I  have  commanded 
you. 

Again,  Isaiah,  Ixi,  8,  9,  in  speaking  of  this 
covenant,  tells  us  that  it  should  make  their 
seed  known  among  the  Gentiles,  and  their 
offspring  among  the  people;  and  should 
cause  all  that  see  them  to  acknowledge  them 
that  they  are  the  seed  that  the  Lord  hath 
blessed.  Now,  we  know  that  it  is  a  question 
which  can  only  be  decided  by  revelation, 
whether  the  aborigines  of  America  are  the 
seed  of  Jacob  or  not.  Again,  it  is  a  matter  of 
uncertainty  where  the  ten  tribes  are,  or  who 
they  are;  but  the  new  covenant,  whenever  it 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  71 

makes  its  appearance,  will  reveal  these  things, 
and  will  leave  the  matter  no  longer  in  sus- 
pense; we  shall  then  know  their  seed  among 
the  Gentiles,  and  their  offspring  among  the 
people.  But,  O !  how  different  wras  the  effect 
of  the  covenant  made  eighteen  hundred 
years  ago  in  its  effects  upon  Israel;  it  cast 
them  off  in  unbelief,  and  caused  all  that  have 
seen  them  or  heard  of  them  ever  since  to 
acknowledge  that  they  are  the  seed  that  the 
Lord  hath  cursed.  When  the  covenant  is  re- 
newed in  the  last  days,  the  Lord  will  bring 
them  into  the  bond  of  the  covenant,  by  mani- 
festing Himself  to  them  face  to  face.  Let  me 
inquire,  How  does  God  make  a  covenant 
with  the  people  in  any  age?  The  answer  is, 
By  communicating  His  will  to  them  by  actual 
revelation;  for,  without  this,  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  make  a  covenant  between  two 
parties.  In  order  to  illustrate  this  subject, 
let  us  bring  an  example.  We  see  how  we 
make  covenants  with  each  other.  For  in- 
stance, a  young  man  wishes  to  enter  into  a 
covenant  of  matrimony  with  a  young  lady; 
but  deprive  him  of  the  privilege  of  revealing 
his  iniijd  to  her,  cut  off  all  direct  communi- 
cation between  them,  and  a  covenant  could 
never  be  made ;  and  so  it  is  with  the  Almighty. 
He  never  did  enter  into  a  covenant  with  His 


72  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

creatures,  without  revelations;  and  He  never 
can  do  it.  In  short,  whenever  He  made  a 
covenant  with  the  people,  where  a  whole  peo- 
ple were  concerned,  He  included  in  the  cove- 
nant the  priesthood,  offices,  and  authorities, 
together  with  the  ordinances  and  blessings 
which  pertain  to  His  covenant;  and  so  will  He 
do  at  this  time.  Whenever  the  new  covenant 
is  established,  it  will  organize  the  kingdom 
of  God  with  all  its  offices,  ordinances,  gifts, 
and  blessings  as  in  the  days  of  old;  but  more 
of  this  when  we  come  to  treat  of  the  kingdom 
of  God. 

"But,'1  says  the  inquirer,  "what  need  have 
we  of  the  renewal  of  a  covenant  which  has 
never  been  broken?  If  the  Lord  made  a 
covenant  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  called 
a  new  covenant,  why  should  that  covenant 
still  be  renewed  again,  seeing  it  is  in  full 
force,  until  it  is  broken  by  one  party  or  the 
other?"  This  is  an  important  inquiry,  in- 
volving the  fate  of  all  Christendom  in  its 
decision;  we  must  therefore  be  very  careful 
to  make  the  decision  perfectly  plain,  and  the 
proof  easy  to  be  understood.  That  there  was 
a  covenant  made  between  God  and  the  people 
In  the  days  of  Christ  and  His  Apostles,  none 
will  attempt  to  deny,  and  if  that  covenant 
never  has  been  broken,  it  must  be  of  force  to 


PROPHECY   YET  FUTURE.  73 

the  present  day,  and  consequently  there  is 
no  need  of  a  new  one.  It  therefore  remains 
for  us  to  prove  that  that  covenant  has  been 
broken,  completely  broken,  so  that  it  is  not 
in  force,  either  among  Jews  or  Gentiles,  hav- 
ing lost  its  offices,  authorities,  powers,  and 
blessings,  insomuch  that  they  are  nowhere  to 
be  found  among  men.  In  order  to  do  this,  we 
must  examine  what  were  its  offices,  authori- 
ties, powers,  and  blessings,  and  then  see 
whether  they  are  still  known  among  men. 

We  read  that  its  offices  consisted  of  Apostles, 
Prophets,  Evangelists,  Pastors,  and  Teachers, 
all  inspired  and  set  in  the  Church,  by  the 
Lord  Himself,  for  the  edifying  of  the  saints, 
for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  etc.  And  they 
were  to  continue  in  the  Church,  wherever  it 
was  found,  until  they  all  came  to  the  unity 
of  the  faith,  and  unto  the  measure  of  the 
stature  of  a  man  in  Christ. 

Secondly,  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  which 
some  call  supernatural,  were  the  powers  and 
blessings  which  pertained  to  that  covenant, 
wherever  it  existed,  among  the  Jews  or  the 
Gentiles,  so  long  as  the  covenant  was  of  force. 
Now,  I  would  ask  the  world  of  Christendom, 
or  either  of  its  sects  or  parties,  if  they  have 
Apostles,  Prophets,  Evangelists,  Pastors  and 
Teachers  inspired  from  on  high,  together 


74  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

with  all  the  gifts  and  blessings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  pertained  to  the  Gospel  cove- 
nant? If  not,  then  the  offices  and  powers  of 
that  covenant  have  been  lost.  And  it  must 
be  through  the  breaking  of  that  covenant 
that  they  were  lost,  for  in  this  way  the  Jews 
lost  these  privileges,  when  they  were  handed 
to  the  Gentiles.  And  Paul  told  the  Gentiles, 
in  his  eleventh  chapter  to  the  Romans,  that  if 
they  did  not  abide  in  the  goodness  of  God, 
they  would  fall,  as  the  Jews  had  done  before 
them. 

But  in  order  to  prove,  by  further  demonstra- 
tion, that  the  Gospel  covenant  has  been 
broken,  by  Jew  and  Gentile,  and  all  people, 
so  as  to  be  no  longer  in  force,  I  shall  quote 
Isaiah,  xxiv,  1 — 6:  "Behold,  the  Lordjmaketh 
the  earth  empty,  and  maketh  it  waste,  and 
turneth  it  upside  down,  and  scattereth  abroad 
the  inhabitants  thereof.  And  it  shall  be,  as 
with  the  people,  so  with  the  priest;  as  with 
the  servant,  so  with  his  master;  as  with  the 
maid,  so  with  her  mistress;  as  with  the 
buyer,  so  with  the  seller;  as  with  the  lender, 
so  with  the  borrower;  as  with  the  taker  of 
usury,  so  with  the  giver  of  usury  to  him. 
The  land  shall  be  utterly  emptied,  and 
utterly  spoiled:  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
this  word.  The  earth  mourneth  and  fadeth 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  75 

away,  the  world  languisheth  and  fadeth 
away,  the  haughty  people  of  the  earth  do 
languish.  The  earth  also  is  denied  under  the 
inhabitants  thereof;  BECAUSE  THEY  HAVE 

TRANSGRESSED  THE  LAWS,  CHANGED  THE 
ORDINANCE,  BROKEN  THE  EVERLASTING 

COVENANT.  Therefore  hath  the  curse  de- 
voured the  earth,  and  they  that  dwell  therein 
are  desolate:  therefore  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  are  burned,  and  few  men  left."  In 
these  few  verses,  we  discover  a  like  calamity 
awaiting  priests  and  people,  rich  and  poor, 
bond  and  free,  insomuch  that  they  are  all  to 
be  burned  up  but  a  few;  and  the  complaint 
is  that  the  earth  is  defiled  under  the  inhab- 
itants thereof,  because  they  have  transgressed 
the  laws,  changed  the  ordinance,  and  broken 
the  everlasting  covenant.  Now  this  could 
not  be  speaking  of  any  other  than  the  cove- 
nant, ordinance,  and  laws  of  the  Gospel, 
made  with  the  people  in  the  days  of  the 
Apostles;  because,  however  any  former  cove- 
nant may  have  been  broken,  yet  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  earth  have  never  been  destroyed 
by  fire,  all  but  a  few,  for  having  broken  any 
previous  covenant.  But  this  destruction  is 
to  come  by  fire,  as  literally  as  the  flood  in  the 
days  of  Noah;  and  it  will  consume  both 
priests  and  people  from  the  earth,  and  that, 


76  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

too,  for  having  broken  the  covenant  of  the 
Gospel,  with  its  laws  and  its  ordinances;  or 
else  we  must  get  a  new  edition  of  the  Bible, 
leaving  out  the  twenty-fourth  of  Isaiah. 

Now,  having  settled  this  question,  I  trust 
the  reader  will  see  the  need  of  a  new  cove- 
nant, in  order  to  save  the  few  that  are  not  to  be 
burned.  We  will  therefore  drop  this  subject 
for  the  present,  and  turn  again  to  the  subject 
of  the  gathering  of  Israel.  You  will  please 
turn  and  read  the  thirty-sixth,  thirty-seventh, 
thirty -eighth,  and  thirty-ninth  chapters  of 
Ezekiel.  In  the  thirty-sixth  chapter  you 
will  discover  a  promise  that  Israel  are  to 
return  from  all  the  nations  whither  they 
have  been  scattered,  and  to  be  brought  again 
to  the  land  which  God  gave  to  their  fathers; 
Jerusalem  is  to  be  filled  with  flocks  of  men, 
and  all  the  desolate  cities  of  Judea  are  to  be 
rebuilt,  fenced  and  inhabited;  the  land  is  to 
be  fenced,  tilled  and  sown,  insomuch  that 
they  shall  say:  "This  land  that  was  desolate 
is  become  like  the  garden  of  Eden."  "I  the 
Lord  have  spoken  it,  and  I  will  do  it;  and 
the  heathen  shall  know  that  I  the  Lord  build 
the  ruined  places,  and  plant  that  that  was 
desolate."  "So  shall  the  waste  cities  be  filled 
with  flocks  of  men,  and  they  shall  know  that 
I  am  the  Lord."  In  the  thirty-seventh 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE,  77 

chapter  you  will  find,  after  the  vision  of  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead,  the  Prophet  goes 
on  to  speak  of  the  two  nations  becoming  one 
nation  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel,  and  one 
king  being  king  to  them  all;  and  when  this 
takes  place,  they  are  no  more  to  be  divided 
into  two  kingdoms.  Moreover,  the  Lord's 
tabernacle  is  to  be  with  them,  and  His  sanc- 
tuary in  the  midst  of  them  forevermore.  He 
will  forever  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be 
His  people.  "And  the  heathen  shall  know 
that  I  the  Lord  do  sanctify  Israel,  when  my 
sanctuary  shall  be  in  the  midst  of  them  for- 
evermore." Now,  it  is  a  fact  well  known, 
that  Judah  and  the  ten  tribes  have  never  been 
one  nation,  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel, 
since  the  day  they  were  first  divided  into 
two  nations. 

But,  when  this  does  take  place,  even  the 
very  heathen  are  to  know  it,  and  are  to  be 
convinced  of  the  true  God,  as  was  Cyrus. 
Now  if  the  missionaries  should  convert  the 
world,  before  the  Lord  does  this  great  work, 
then  it  will  save  the  Lord  the  trouble  of  doing 
it  in  His  own  way,  and  it  will  save  the 
trouble  of  fulfilling  the  Prophets,  and  the 
word  of  the  Lord  will  fail,  and  all  the  world 
lay  hold  of  infidelity.  Well  did  the  Lord 
say;  "My  ways  are  not  as  your  ways,  nor 


78  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

my  thoughts  as  your  thoughts."  Chapters 
xxxviii  and  xxxix  present  us  with  a  view  of 
many  nations  united  under  one  great  head, 
whom  the  Lord  is  pleased  to  call  Gog;  and 
being  mounted  on  horseback,  and  armed 
with  all  sorts  of  armor,  they  come  up  against 
the  mountains  of  Israel,  as  a  cloud  to  cover 
the  land;  their  object  is  to  take  a  prey,  to 
take  away  silver  and  gold,  and  cattle,  and 
goods  in  great  abundance. 

This  is  an  event  which  is  to  transpire  after 
the  return  of  the  Jews,  and  the  rebuilding 
of  Jerusalem;  while  the  towns  and  the  land 
of  Judea  are  without  walls,  having  neither 
bars  nor  gates.  But  while  they  are  at  the 
point  to  swallow  up  the  Jews,  and  lay  waste 
their  country,  behold  the  Lord's  fury  comes 
up  in  His  face,  a  mighty  earthquake  is  the 
result,  insomuch  that  the  fishes  of  the  sea, 
and  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  all  the  creeping 
things,  and  all  men  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth,  shall  shake  at  His  presence,  and  every 
wall  shall  fall  to  the  ground,  and  every 
man's  sword  shall  be  turned  against  his 
neighbor  in  this  army,  and  the  Lord  shall 
rain  upon  Gog,  and  upon  his  bands,  and 
upon  the  many  people  that  are  with  him,  an 
Overflowing  rain,  great  hailstones,  fire  and 
brimstone.  And  thus  He  will  magnify  Him- 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  79 

self,  and  sanctify  Himself,  in  the  eyes  of 
many  nations,  and  they  shall  know  that  He 
is  the  Lord;  thus  they  shall  fall  upon  the 
open  field,  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel, 
even  Gog  and  all  his  army,  horses  and  horse- 
men; and  the  Jews  shall  go  forth  and  gather 
the  weapons  of  war,  such  as  handstaves, 
spears,  shields,  bows  and  arrows;  and  these 
weapons  shall  last  the  cities  of  Israel  seven 
years  for  fuel,  so  that  they  shall  cut  no  wood 
out  of  the  forest,  for  they  shall  burn  the 
weapons  with  the  fire;  and  they  shall  spoil 
those  that  spoiled  them,  and  rob  those  that 
robbed  them,  and  they  shall  gather  gold  and 
silver,  and  apparel,  in  great  abundance. 

At  this  time  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  the 
beasts  of  the  field  shall  have  a  great  feast; 
yea,  they  are  to  eat  fat  until  they  be  full,  and 
drink  blood  until  they  be  drunken.  They 
are  to  eat  the  flesh  of  captains,  and  kings, 
and  mighty  men,  and  all  men  of  war.  But  the 
Jews  will  have  a  very  serious  duty  to  per- 
form, which  will  tako  no  less  than  seven 
months;  namely,  the  burying  of  their  ene- 
mies. They  will  select  a  place  on  the  east 
side  of  the  sea,  called  the  Valley  of  the 
Passengers,  and  there  shall  they  bury  Gog 
and  all  his  multitude,  and  they  shall  call  it 
the  Valley  of  Hamon  Gog.  And  the  scent 


80  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

shall  go  forth,  insomuch  that  it  shall  stop 
the  noses  of  the  passengers;  thus  shall  they 
cleanse  the  land.  "And  I  will  set  my  glory 
among  the  heathen,  and  all  the  heathen  shall 
see  my  judgment  that  I  have  executed,  and 
my  hand  that  I  have  laid  upon  them:  so  the 
house  of  Israel  shall  know  that  I  am  the 
Lord  their  God  from  that  day  and  forward. 
And  the  heathen  shall  know  that  the  house  of 
Israel  went  into  captivity  for  their  iniquity; 
because  they  trespassed  against  me,  there- 
fore hid  I  my  face  from  them,  and  gave 
them  into  the  hand  of  their  enemies;  so  fell 
they  all  by  the  sword.  According  to  their 
uncleanness,  and  according  to  their  trans- 
gressions, have  I  done  unto  them,  and  hid 
myself  from  them.  Therefore  thus  saith  the 
Lord  God,  Now  will  I  bring  again  the  cap- 
tivity of  Jacob,  and  have  mercy  upon  the 
whole  house  of  Israel,  and  will  be  jealous 
for  my  holy  name:  after  that  they  have 
borne  their  shame,  and  all  their  trespasses 
whereby  they  have  trespassed  against  me, 
when  they  dwelt  safely  in  their  own  land, 
and  none  made  them  afraid.  When  I  have 
brought  them  again  from  the  people,  and 
gathered  them  out  of  their  enemy's  lands, 
and  arn  sanctified  in  them  in  the  sight  of 
many  nations;  then  shall  they  know  thatT 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  81 

am  the  Lord  their  God,  which  caused  them 
to  be  led  into  captivity  among  the  heathen; 
but  I  have  gathered  them  into  their  own  land, 
and  have  left  none  of  them  any  more  there. 
Neither  will  I  hide  my  face  any  more  from 
them;  for  I  have  poured  out  my  Spirit  upon 
the  house  of  Israel,  saith  the  Lord  God." 

In  the  foregoing,  we  discover  that  the  hea- 
then are  to  know  that  the  house  of  Israel 
went  into  captivity  for  their  iniquity,  and  are 
gathered  again  by  the  hand  of  God,  after 
having  borne  their  shame  for  all  their  tres- 
passes: and  the  house  of  Israel  will  know 
that  it  was  the  Lord  their  God  who  caused 
them  to  be  led  into  captivity  among  the  hea- 
then, and  that  He  it  was  that  gathered  and 
defended  them,  and  He  will  hide  His  face  no 
more  from  them,  but  will  pour  out  His  Spirit 
upon  them. 

O  ye  blind,  ye  stiff  necked,  ye  hardhearted 
generation,  with  the  Bible  circulated  among 
all  nations,  will  whole  nations  be  so  blind  as 
to  fulfil  this  prophecy,  and  not  know  it  until 
it  brings  destruction  upon  their  own  heads? 
Why  all  this  blindness?  Alas!  it  is  because 
of  false  teachers,  who  will  tell  them  the  Bible 
must  be  spiritualized.  Others  declare  that 
these  prophecies  can  never  be  understood 

until  they  are  fulfilled.    If  this  be  the  case, 
6 


82  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

then  we  can  never  escape  the  judgments  pre- 
dicted in  them,  but  must  continue  the  chil- 
dren of  darkness,  until  they  come  upon  us 
unawares  and  sweep  us  from  the  earth. 
Then,  where  will  be  the  consolation  of  look- 
ing back  and  seeing  them  fulfilled?  But 
blessed  be  God,  He  has  told  us  by  the  mouth 
of  Daniel  that  many  shall  run  to  and  fro,  and 
knowledge  shall  be  increased,  and  that  the 
wise  shall  understand,  but  none  of  the  wicked 
shall  understand.  And  now,  I  would  ask, 
who  are  more  wicked  than  the  wilfully  blind 
leaders  of  the  blind,  who  tell  us  we  cannot 
understand  the  Scriptures? 

Zachariah,  in  his  fourteenth  chapter,  has 
told  us  much  concerning  the  great  battle  and 
overthrow  of  the  nations  who  fight  against 
Jerusalem;  and  he  has  said,  in  plain  words, 
that  the  Lord  shall  come  at  the  very  time  of 
the  overthrow  of  that  army;  yes,  in  fact, 
even  while  they  are  in  the  act  of  taking  Jeru- 
salem, and  have  already  succeeded  in  taking 
one  half  the  city,  and  spoiling  their  houses, 
and  ravishing  their  women.  Then,  behold 
their  long  expected  Messiah,  suddenly  ap- 
pearing, shall  stand  upon  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  a  little  east  of  Jerusalem,  to  fight 
against  those  nations  and  deliver  the  Jews. 
Zachariah  says,  The  Mount  of  Olives  shall 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  83 

cleave  in  twain,  from  east  to  west,  and  one 
half  of  the  mountain  shall  remove  to  the 
north,  while  the  other  half  falls  off  to  the 
south,  suddenly  forming  a  very  great  valley, 
into  which  the  Jews  shall  flee  for  protection 
from  their  enemies,  as  they  fled  from  the 
earthquake  in  the  days  of  Uzziah,  king  of 
Judah;  while  the  Lord  cometh  and  all  the 
saints  with  him.  Then  will  the  Jews  behold 
that  long,  long  expected  Messiah,  coming  in 
power  to  their  deliverance,  as  they  always 
looked  for  Him.  He  will  destroy  their  ene- 
mies, and  deliver  them  from  trouble  at  the 
very  time  they  are  in  the  utmost  conster- 
nation, and  about  to  be  swallowed  up  by 
their  enemies. 

But  what  will  be  their  astonishment,  when 
they  are  about  to  fall  at  the  feet  of  their  De- 
liverer, and  acknowledge  him  their  Messiah! 
They  discover  the  wounds  which  were  once 
made  in  his  hands,  feet,  and  side;  and,  on  in- 
quiry, at  once  recognize  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
the  king  of  the  Jews,  the  man  so  long  reject- 
ed. Well  did  the  Prophet  say,  they  should 
mourn  and  weep,  every  family  apart,  and 
their  wives  apart.  But,  thank  heaven,  there 
will  be  an  end  to  their  mourning;  for  He 
will  forgive  their  iniquities,  and  cleanse  them 
from  all  uncleaimess.  Jerusalem  shall  be  a 


84  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

holy  city  from  that  time  forth,  and  all  the 
land  shall  be  turned  as  a  plain  from  Geba  to 
Rimmon,  and  she  shall  be  lifted  up  and  in- 
habited in  her  place,  and  men  shall  dwell 
there,  and  there  shall  be  no  more  utter  des- 
truction of  Jerusalem;  "and  in  that  day 
there  shall  be  one  Lord,  and  His  name  one, 
and  He  shall  be  King  over  all  the  earth." 

John,  in  his  eleventh  chapter  of  Revela- 
tions, gives  us  many  more  particulars  con- 
cerning this  same  event.  He  informs  us 
that,  after  the  city  and  temple  are  rebuilt  by 
the  Jews,  the  Gentiles  will  tread  it  underfoot 
forty  and  two  months,  during  which  time 
there  will  be  two  Prophets  continually  pro- 
phesying and  working  mighty  miracles.  And 
it  seems  that  the  Gentile  army  shall  be  hin- 
dered from  utterly  destroying  and  overthrow- 
ing the  city,  while  these  two  Prophets  con- 
tinue. But,  after  a  struggle  of  three  years 
and  a  half,  they  at  length  succeed  in  des- 
troying these  two  Prophets,  and  then  over- 
running much  of  the  city;  they  send  gifts  to 
each  other  because  of  the  death  of  the  two 
Prophets,  and  in  the  meantime  will  not  allow 
their  dead  bodies  to  be  put  in  graves,  but  suffer 
them  to  lie  in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  three 
days  and  a  half;  during  which  the  armies  of 
the  Gentiles,  consisting  of  many  kindreds, 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  85 

tongues,  and  nations,  passing  through  the 
city,  plundering  the  Jews,  see  their  dead 
bodies  lying  in  the  street.  But,  after  three 
days  and  a  half,  on  a  sudden,  the  spirit  of 
life  from  God  enters  them,  and  they  will  arise 
and  stand  upon  their  feet,  and  great  fear  will 
fall  upon  them  that  see  them.  And  then 
they  shall  hear  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
"Come  up  hither,"  and  they  will  ascend  up 
to  heaven  in  a  cloud,  their  enemies  behold- 
ing them.  And,  having  described  all  these 
things,  then  come  the  shaking,  spoken  of  by 
Ezekiel,  and  the  rending  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  spoken  of  by  Zachariah.  John  says: 
"The  same  hour  there  was  a  great  earth- 
quake, and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell; 
and  in  the  earthquake  were  slain  of  men 
seven  thousand."  And  then  one  of  the  next 
scenes  that  follow  is  the  sound  of  voices,  say- 
ing: "The  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  be- 
come the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  His 
Christ,  and  He  shall  reign  forever  and  ever." 

Now,  having  summed  up  the  description 
of  these  great  events  spoken  of  by  these 
Prophets,  I  would  just  remark,  there  is  no 
difficulty  in  understanding  them  all  to  be 
perfectly  plain  and  literal  in  their  fulfilment. 

Suffice  it  to  say,  the  Jews  gather  home, 
and  rebuild  Jerusalem.  The  nations  gather 


80  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

against  them  to  battle.  Their  armies  encom- 
pass the  city,  and  have  more  or  less  power 
over  it  for  three  years  and  a  half.  A  couple 
of  Jewish  Prophets,  by  their  mighty  mira- 
cles, keep  them  from  utterly  overcoming  the 
Jews;  until  at  length  they  are  slain,  and  the 
city  is  left  in  a  great  measure  to  the  mercy  of 
their  enemies  for  three  days  and  a  half;  the 
two  Prophets  rise  from  the  dead  and  ascend 
up  into  heaven.  The  Messiah  comes,  con- 
vulses the  earth,  overthrows  the  army  of  the 
Gentiles,  delivers  the  Jews,  cleanses  Jerusa- 
lem, cuts  off  all  wickedness  from  the  earth, 
raises  the  saints  from  the  dead,  brings  them 
with  Him,  and  commences  His  reign  for  a 
thousand  years;  during  which  time  His 
Spirit  will  be  poured  out  upon  all  flesh;  men 
and  beasts,  birds  and  serpents,  will  be  per- 
fectly harmless,  and  peace  and  the  knowl- 
edge and  glory  of  God  shall  cover  the  earth 
as  the  waters  cover  the  sea;  and  the  king- 
dom, and  the  greatness  of  the  kingdom 
under  the  whole  heaven,  shall  be  given  to 
the  saints  of  the  Most  High. 

During  this  thousand  years,  Satan  will  be 
bound,  and  have  no  power  to  tempt  the 
children  of  men.  And  the  earth  itself  will 
be  delivered  from  the  curse,  which  came  by 
reason  of  the  Fall.  The  rough  places  will 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  87 

become  smooth,  the  barren  deserts  fruitful; 
the  mountains  leveled;  the  valleys  exalted; 
the  thorn  and  thistle  shall  no  more  be  found, 
but  all  the  earth  shall  yield  her  increase  in 
abundance  to  the  saints  of  God.  But,  after 
the  thousand  years  are  ended,  then  shall 
Satan  be  loosed,  and  shall  go  out  to  deceive 
the  nations  which  dwell  in  the  four  quarters 
of  the  earth,  to  gather  them  to  battle,  and 
to  bring  them  up  to  battle  against  the  camp 
of  the  saints.  Then  the  great  and  last  strug- 
gle shall  take  place  between  God  and  Satan, 
for  the  empire  of  the  earth.  Satan  and  his 
army  shall  be  overthrown.  And  after  these 
great  things,  come  the  end  of  the  earth,  the 
resurrection  of  the  wicked,  and  the  last 
judgment.  And  there  shall  be  a  new  earth 
and  a  new  heaven,  for  the  former  earth  and 
the  former  heaven  shall  have  passed  away, 
that  is,  they  will  be  changed  from  temporal 
to  eternal,  and  made  fit  for  the  abode  of  im- 
mortals. Then  cometh  Jerusalem  down  from 
God,  out  of  heaven,  having  been  renewed  as 
well  as  the  heavens  and  the  earth.  "For," 
says  He,  "behold,  I  make  'all  things  new." 
This  new  city,  placed  upon  the  new  earth, 
with  the  Lord  God  and  the  Lamb  in  the 
midst,  seems  to  be  man's  eternal  abode,  in- 
somuch that,  after  all  our  longings  for  a 


88  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

place  beyond  the  bounds  of  time  and  spaee, 
as  saith  the  poet,  we  are  at  last  brought  to 
our  proper  senses,  and  given  to  understand 
that  man  is  destined  forever  to  inherit  this 
selfsame  planet,  upon  which  he  was  first 
created,  which  shall  be  redeemed,  sanctified, 
renewed,  purified,  and  prepared  as  an  eternal 
inheritance  for  immortality  and  eternal  life; 
with  the  holy  city  for  its  capital,  the  throne 
of  God  in  the  midst,  for  its  seat  of  govern- 
ment; and  watered  with  a  stream,  clear  as 
crystal,  called  the  Waters  of  Life,  issuing 
from  the  throne  of  Jehovah;  while  either 
side  is  adorned  with  trees  of  never  fading 
beauty.  "Blessed  are  they  tthat  do  his  com- 
mandments, that  they  may  have  a  right  to 
the  tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through 
the  gates  into  the  city."  By  this  time  we 
begin  to  understand  the  words  of  the  Savior: 
"Blessed  are  the  meek,  for  they  shall  inherit 
the  earth."  And  also  the  song  which  John 
heard  in  heaven,  which  ended  thus:  "We 
shall  reign  on  the  EARTH." 

Reader,  do  not  be  startled;  suppose  you 
were  to  be  caught  up  into  heaven,  there  to 
stand  with  the  redeemed  of  every  nation, 
kindred,  tongue,  and  people,  and  join  them 
in  singing,  and  to  your  astonishment,  all 
heaven  is  filled  with  joy ,  while  they  tune  the 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  89 

immortal  lyre,  in  joyful  anticipation  of  one 
day  reigning  on  the  earth—a  planet  now 
under  the  dominion  of  Satan,  the  abode  of 
wretchedness  and  misery,  from  which  your 
glad  spirit  had  taken  its  flight,  and,  as  you 
supposed,  an  everlasting  farewell.  You 
might  perhaps  be  startled  for  a  moment,  and 
inquire  within  yourself:  "Why  have  I  never 
heard  this  theme  sung  among  the  churches 
on  earth?"  Well,  my  friend,  the  answer 
would  be— "Because  you  lived  in  a  day 
when  people  did  not  understand  the  Scrip- 
tures." 

Abraham  would  tell  you,  you  should  have 
read  the  promise  of  God  to  him,  Gen.  xvii,  8, 
where  God  not  only  promised  the  land  of 
Canaan  to  his  seed  for  an  everlasting  posses- 
sion, but  also  to  him.  Then  you  should  have 
read  the  testimony  of  Stephen,  Acts,  vii,  5, 
by  which  you  would  have  ascertained  that 
Abraham  never  had  inherited  the  things 
promised,  but  was  still  expecting  to  rise 
from  the  dead  and  be  brought  into  the  land 
of  Canaan,  to  inherit  them.  "Yes,"  says 
Ezekiel,  "if  you  had  read  the  thirty-seventh 
chapter  of  my  prophecies,  you  would  have 
found  a  positive  promise,  that  God  would 
open  the  graves  of  the  whole  house  of  Israel, 
who  were  dead,  and  gather  up  their  dry 


90  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE, 

bones,and  put  them  together,  each  to  its  own 
proper  place,  and  even  clothe  them  again 
with  flesh,  sinews,  and  skin,  and  put  His 
Spirit  in  them,  and  they  should  live;  and 
then,  instead  of  being  caught  up  to  heaven, 
they  should  "be  brought  into  the  land  of 
Canaan,  which  the  Lord  gave  them,  and  they 
should  inherit  it." 

But,  still  astonished,  you  might  turn  to 
Job;  and  he,  surprised  to  find  one  unac- 
quainted with  so  plain  a  subject,  would  ex- 
claim: "Did  you  never  read  my  nineteenth 
chapter,  from  the  twenty-third  to  the  twenty- 
seventh  verses,  where  I  declare,  I  wish  my 
words  were  written  in  a  book,  saying,  that 
my  Redeemer  would  stand  on  the  earth  in 
the  latter-day;  and  that  I  should  see  Him  in 
the  flesh,  for  myself,  and  not  another; 
though  worms  should  destroy  this  body?" 
Even  David,  the  sweet  singer  of  Israel,  would 
call  to  your  mind  the  thirty-seventh  Psalm, 
where  he  repeatedly  declares  that  the  meek 
shall  inherit  the  earth  forever,  after  the 
wicked  are  cut  off  from  the  face  thereof. 

And  last  of  all,  to  set  the  matter  forever  at 
rest,  the  voice  of  the  Savior  would  mildly 
fall  upon  your  ear,  in  his  sermon  on  the 
mount,  declaring  emphatically:  "Blessed 
are  the  meek,  for  they  shall  inherit  the 


PJIOPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  91 

earth."  To  these  things  you  would  answer: 
'*!  have  read  these  passages,  to  be  sure,  but 
was  always  taught  to  believe  that  they  did 
not  mean  so,  therefore,  I  never  understood 
them  until  now.  Let  me  go  and  tell  the  peo- 
ple what  wonders  have  opened  to  my  view, 
since  my  arrival  in  heaven,  merely  from 
having  heard  one  short  song.  It  is  true,  I 
have  heard  much  of  the  glories  of  heaven 
described,  while  on  earth,  but  never  once 
thought  of  their  rejoicing  in  anticipation  of 
returning  to  the  earth."  Says  the  Savior: 
"They  have  Moses  and  the  Prophets;  if  they 
will  not  believe  them,  neither  would  they 
believe  although  one  should  rise  from  the 
dead." 

We  will  now  return  to  the  subject  of  the 
coming  of  Messiah,  and  the  ushering  in  of 
that  glorious  day,  called  the  Millennium,  or 
rest  of  a  thousand  years.  We  gather  from 
the  field  of  prophecy,  through  which  we 
have  passed:  first,  that  that  glorious  day*will 
be  ushered  in  by  the  personal  coming  of 
Christ,  and  the  resurrection  of  all  the  saints; 
second,  that  all  the  wicked  will  be  destroyed 
from  the  earth,  by  overwhelming  judgments 
of  God,  and  by  fire,  at  the  time  of  His  com- 
ing, insomuch  that  the  earth  will  be  cleansed 
by  fire  from  its  wicked  inhabitants,  as  it  once 


92  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

was  by  water;  and  this  burning  will  include 
priests  as  well  as  people:  all  but  a  few  shall 
be  burned.  This  burning  more  especially 
applies  to  the  fallen  church,  rather  than 
to  the  heathen  or  Jews,  whom  they  are  now 
Drying  to  convert.  Woe  unto  you,  Gentiles, 
who  call  yourselves  the  people  of  the  Lord, 
but  have  made  void  the  law  of  God  by  your 
traditions;  for  in  vain  do  you  call  Lord, 
Lord,  and  do  not  the  things  which  Jesus 
commands;  in  vain  do  ye  worship  Him, 
teaching  for  doctrines  the  commandments  of 
men.  Behold,  the  sword  of  vengeance  hangs 
over  you,  and  except  you  repent,  it  will  soon 
fall  upon  you;  and  it  will  be  more  tolerable 
in  that  day  for  the  Jews  and  heathen  than 
for  you.  Behold,  ye  flatter  yourselves  that 
the  glorious  day  spoken  of  by  the  Prophets 
will  be  ushered  in  by  your  modern  inven- 
tions and  moneyed  plans,  which  are  got  up 
in  order  to  convert  the  Jews  and  heathen  to 
the  various  sectarian  principles  now  existing 
among  yourselves;  and  you  expect,  when 
this  is  done,  to  behold  a  millennium  after 
your  own  heart.  But  the  Jews  and  heathen 
never  will  be  converted,  as  a  people,  to  any 
other  plan  than  that  laid  down  in  the  Bible 
for  the  great  restoration  of  Israel.  And  you 
yourselves  are  laboring  under  a  broken 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  93 

covenant,  and  ripening  for  the  fire  as  fast  as 
possible.  But  do  not  count  me  your  enemy 
because  I  tell  you  the  truth,  for  God  is  my 
witness  that  I  love  your  souls  too  well  to 
keep  back  any  truth  from  you,  however 
severe  it  may  seem.  The  wounds  of  a  friend 
are  better  than  the  kisses  of  an  enemy.  Now, 
concerning  the  signs  of  the  times,  the  inquiry 
often  arises:  "When  shall  these  things  be, 
and  what  signs  shall  there  be  when  these 
things  shall  come  to  pass?"  I  am  often 
asked  the  question,  whether  it  is  near  at 
hand;  I  will  therefore  tell  you  all,  whereby 
you  may  know  for  yourselves  when  it  is 
nigh,  even  at  the  doors,  and  not  be  depend- 
ant on  the  knowledge  of  others. 

Now,  you  behold  the  apple  tree,  and  all 
the  trees,  when  they  begin  to  shoot  forth 
their  leaves,  ye  know  of  your  own  selves 
that  summer  is  nigh  at  hand;  and  so  likewise 
when  ye  shall  see  great  earthquakes,famines, 
pestilence,  and  plagues  of  every  kind;  the 
sea  breaking  beyond  its  bounds,  and  all 
things  in  commotion;  the  nations  distressed 
with  perplexity;  men's  hearts  failing  them 
for  fear,  and  for  looking  for  the  things  which 
are  coming  on  the  earth;  when  you  see  signs 
in  the  heaven  above,  and  in  the  earth  be- 
neath, blood,  and  fire,  and  vapor  of  smoke, 


94  PHOPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

the  sun  turned  to  darkness,  the  moon  to 
blood,  arid  stars  hurled  from  their  courses; 
when  you  see  the  Jews  gathering  to  Jerusa- 
lem, and  the  armies  of  the  nations  gathering 
against  them  to  battle,  you  may  know,  with 
a  perfect  knowledge,  that  Christ's  coming  is 
near,  even  at  the  doors.  "  Verily]  I  say  unto 
you,  this  generation  shall  not  pass  till  all 
these  things  be  fulfilled."  Heaven  and  earth 
shall  pass  away,  but  not  one  word  of  all  that 
the  Lord  has  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  His 
holy  Prophets  and  Apostles  shall  fail. 

Whoever  will  look  to  the  word  of  the 
Prophets,  and  to  the  sayings  of  Jesus  Christ, 
on  this  subject,  the  same  will  be  convinced 
that  all  the  signs  of  which  I  have  spoken  are 
clearly  pointed  out  as  the  signs  of  His  coming. 
But,  notwithstanding  all  these  things  are 
written,  His  earning  will  overtake  the  world 
unawares,  as  the  flood  did  the  people  in  the 
days  of  Noah.  The  reason  is,  they  will  not 
understand  the  Prophets.  They  will  not 
endure  sound  doctrine;  their  ears  are  turned 
away  from  the  truth,  and  turned  to  fables, 
because  of  false  teachers,  and  the  precepts  of 
men;  and  what  is  still  worse,  when  God 
sends  men  with  the  New  and  Everlasting 
Covenant,  and  clothes  them  with  boldness  to 
testify  to  the  truth,  they  wiU  be  treated  as 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  95 

the  servants  of  God  have  been  before  them 
by  the  fallen  churches;  every  church  will 
cleave  to  its  own  way,  and  will  unite  in  say- 
ing: "There  is  no  need  of  these  new  things, 
the  good  old  way  is  right;'7  while  at  the 
same  time  they  are  walking  in  as  many 
different  ways  as  there  are  sects,  and  only 
agree  in  persecuting  and  speaking  all  manner 
of  evil  against  the  fishers  and  hunters  whom 
God  shall  send.  But,  thank  heaven,  there 
are  individuals  in  every  sect  who  are  humbly 
seeking  the  truth,  and  who  will  -know  the 
voice  of  truth,  and  be  gathered  out,  and 
planted  in  the  New  and  JEverlasting  Cove- 
nant; and  they  will  be  adopted  into  the 
family  of  Israel,  and  will  be  gathered  with 
them,  and  be  partakers  of  the  same  cove- 
nant of  promise.  Yea,  as  Jeremiah  says,  in 
the  sixteenth  chapter  of  his  Prophecies: 
"The  Gentiles  shall  come  unto  thee  from  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  and  shall  say,  surely  our 
fathers  have  inherited  lies,  vanities,  and 
things  wherein  there  is -no  profit."  But  as 
the  Jews  overlooked  Christ's  first  coming,  by 
not  understanding  «the  Prophets,  and  fasten- 
ing their  whole  expectations  on  His  glorious 
coming  in  the  last  days,  to  restore  the  king- 
dom to  Israel,  and  avenge  them  of  their 
enemies,  and,  by  this  mistake,  were  broken 


96  PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE. 

and  scattered;  so  the  Gentiles  will  overlook 
the  prophecies  concerning  His  second  com- 
ing, by  confounding  them  with  the  last 
judgment,  which  is  to  take  place  more  than 
a  thousand  years  afterward.  But  this  fatal 
mistake,  instead  of  causing  the  Gentiles  to 
be  broken  and  scattered,  will  cause  them  to 
be  ground  to  powder. 

O  my  brethren,  according  to  the  flesh,  my 
soul  mourns  over  you,  and  had  I  a  voice 
like  a  trumpet,  I  would  cry,  Awake,  awake 
and  arouse  from  your  slumber,  for  the  time 
is  fulfilled,  your  destruction  is  at  the  door, 
"for  I  have  heard  from  the  Lord  God  of 
Hosts,  a  consumption,  even  determined  upon 
the  whole  earth!"  Prepare  to  meet  your 
God  !  And  again,  Awake,  O  house  of  Israel, 
and  lift  up  your  heads,  for  your  redemption 
draweth  nigh:  yea,  depart  ye,  depart  ye,  go 
ye  out  from  hence,  gather  home  from  your 
long  dispersion,  rebuild  your  cities;  yea,  go 
ye  out  from  the  nations,  from  one  end  of 
heaven  to  the  other;  but  let  not  your  flight 
be  in  haste,  for  the  Lord  shall  go  before  you, 
and  the  God  of  Israel  shall  be  your  rearward ! 
And  finally,  I  would  say  to  all,  both  Jew  and 
Gentile,  Repent  ye,  repent  ye,  for  the  great 
day  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand;  for  if  I,  who  am 
a  man,  do  lift  up  my  voice,  and  call  upon 


PROPHECY  YET  FUTURE.  97 

you  to  repent,  and  ye  hate  me,  what  will  ye 
say  when  the  day  cometh,  when  the  thun- 
ders shall  utter  their  voices  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth,  speaking  to  the  ears  of  all  that  live, 
saying:  "Repent,  and  prepare  for  the  groat 
day  of  the  Lord?"  Yea,  again,  when  the 
lightnings  shall  streak  from  the  east  unto 
the  west,  and  shall  utter  forth  their  voices 
unto  all  that  live,  and  make  the  ears  of  all 
that  hear  to  tingle,  saying  these  words: 
" Repent  ye,  for  the  great  day  of  the  Lord  is 
come?"  And  again,  the  Lord  shall  utter  His 
voice  out  of  heaven,  saying:  "Hearken,  O  ye 
nations  of  the  earth,  and  hear  the  words  of 
that  God  who  made  you:  O  ye  nations  of 
the  earth,  how  oft  would  I  have  gathered  you 
together  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens 
under 'her  wings,  but  ye  would  not!  How 
often  have  I  called  upon  you  by  the  mouth 
of  my  servants,  and  by  the  ministering  of 
angels,  and  by  mine  own  voice,  and  by  the. 
voice  of  thunderings,  and  by  the  voice  of 
lightnings,  and  by  the  voice  of  tempests, 
and  by  the  voice  of  earthquakes  and  great 
hailstorms,  and  by  the  voice  of  famine  and 
pestilences  of  every  kind,  and  by  the  great 
sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  by  the  voice  of 
judgments,  and  by  the  voice  of  mercy,  all 
the  day  long,  and  by  the  voice  of  glory  and 


98  THE  KINGDOM  OP  GOD. 

honor,  and  the  riches  of  eternal  life,  and 
would  have  saved  you  with  an  everlasting 
salvation,  but  you  would  not!  Behold,  the 
day  has  come,  when  the  cup  of  the  wrath  of 
mine  indignation  is  full." 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 
"Seek  first  the  Kingdom  of  God." 

THIS  -was  the  command  of  the  Savior, 
while  on  4he.  earth,  teaching  the  children  of 
men. 

Having  taken  a  general  view  of  the  prophe- 
cies, past  and  future,  we  shall  now  proceed 
to  fulfil  this  command,  and  search  out  the 
kingdom  of  God.  But,  before  we  advance, 
I  would  again  caution  the  reader  not  to 
accompany  me  in  this  research,  unless  he  is 
prepared  to  sacrifice  everything,  even  to  his 
good  name,  and  life  itself,  if  necessary,  for 
the  truth;  for  if  he  should  once  get  a  view  of 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  99 

the  kingdom  of  God,  he  will  be 'so  delighted 
that  he  never  will  rest  satisfied  short  of 
becoming  a  subject  of  the  same.  And  yet  it 
will  be  so  unlike  every  other  system  of 
religion  now  on  earth,  that  he  will  be 
astonished  that  any  person,  with  the  Bible 
in  his  hand,  should  ever  have  mistaken  any 
of  the  systems  of  men  for  the  kingdom  of 
God.  There  are  certain  powers,  privileges, 
and  blessings,  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of 
God,  which  are  found  in  no  other  kingdom, 
nor  enjoyed  by  any  other  people.  By  these 
it  was  ever  distinguished  from  all  other 
kingdoms  and  systems,  insomuch  that  the 
inquiring  mind,  seeking  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  being  once  acquainted  with  these 
peculiarities  concerning  it,  need  never 
mistake  it,  or  be  at  a  loss  to  know  when  he 
has  found  it.  But,  before  we  proceed  any 
further  in  our  research,  let  us  agree  upon 
the  meaning  of  the  term,  the  Kingdom  of 
God,  or  the  sense  in  which  we  will  use  it; 
for  some  apply  this  term  to  the  kingdom  of 
glory  above,  and  some  to  the  individual 
enjoyment  of  their  own  souls,  while  others 
apply  it  to  His  organized  government  on  the 
earth.  Now,  when  WE  speak  of  the  kingdom 
of  God,  we  wish  it  to  be  understood  that  we 
mean  His  organized  government  on  the  earth. 


100  THE   KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

Now,  reader,  we  launch  forth  into  the  wide 
field  before  us  in  search  of  a  kingdom.  But 
stop,  let  us  consider— what  is  a  kingdom?  I 
reply,  that  four  things  are  required  in  order 
to  constitute  any  kingdom  in  heaven  or  on 
earth;  namely,  first,  a  king;  secondly,  com- 
missioned officers  duly  qualified  to  execute 
his  ordinances  and  laws;  thirdly,  a  code  of 
laws  by  which  the  subjects  are  governed;  and 
fourthly,  subjects  who  are  governed.  Where 
these  exist  in  their  proper  order  and  regular 
authority,  there  is  a  kingdom,  but  where 
either  of  these  ceases  to  exist,  there  is  a  disor- 
ganization of  the  kingdom;  consequently  an 
end  of  it,  until  reorganized  after  the  same 
manner  as  before.  In  this  respect  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  like  all  other  kingdoms; 
wherever  we  find  officers  duly  commissioned 
and  qualified  by  the  Lord  Jesus,  together 
with  His  ordinances  and  laws  existing  in 
purity,  unmixed  with  any  precepts  or  com- 
mandments of  men,  there  the  kingdom  of 
God  exists,  and  there  His  power  is  manifest, 
and  His  blessings  are  enjoyed  as  in  days  of 
old. 

We  shall  now  take  a  view  of  the  setting 
up  of  the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  days  of  the 
Apostles.  The  first  intimation  of  its  near  ap- 
proach was  by  an  angel  to  Zachariah,  prom- 


THE   KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  101 

ising  him  a  son,  who  should  go  before  the 
King  to  prepare  his  way.  The  next  manifes- 
tation was  to  Mary,  and  finally  to  Joseph,  by 
a  holy  angel,  promising  the  birth  of  the  Mes- 
siah: while  at  the  same  time,  the  Holy  Ghost 
manifested  unto  Simeon,  in  the  temple,  that 
he  should  not  die  until  he  had  seen  the 
Savior.  Thus,  all  these,  together  with  the 
shepherds  and  the  wise  men  from  the  east, 
began  to  rejoice  with  a  joy  unspeakable  and 
full  of  glory,  while  the  world  around  them 
knew  not  the  occasion  of  their  joy.  A.fter 
these  things,  all  seemed  to  rest  in  silent  ex- 
pectation, until  John  had  grown  to  manhood, 
when  he  came  bounding  from  the  wilderness 
of  Judea,  with  a  proclamation  strange  and 
new,  crying:  "Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  at  hand,"  baptizing  unto  repent- 
ance, telling  them  plainly  that  their  King  was 
already  standing  among  them,  on  the  point 
of  setting  up  His  kingdom.  And  while  he 
yet  ministered,  the  Messiah  came,  and  was 
baptized,  and  sealed  with  the  Spirit  of  God, 
which  rested  on  Him  in  the  form  of  a  dove; 
and  soon  after  began  the  same  proclamation 
as  John,  saying— " Repent  ye,  for  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  is  at  hand."  Then,  after 
choosing  twelve  disciples,  He  sent  them  forth 
into  all  the  cities  of  Judea,  with  the  same 


102  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

proclamation — "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at 
hand;"  and  after  them  He  sent  seventy,  and 
then  another  seventy,  with  the  same  news,  so 
that  all  might  be  well  warned  and  prepared 
for  a  kingdom  which  was  soon  to  be  organ- 
ized amongst  them. 

But  when  these  things  had  produced  the 
desired  effect,  in  causing  a  general  ex- 
pectation, more  especially  in  the  hearts  of 
His  disciples,  who  daily  expected  to  tri- 
umph over  their  persecutors,  .by  the  coro- 
nation of  this  glorious  personage,  while  they 
themselves  were  hoping  for  a  reward  for  all 
their  toil  and  sacrifices  for  His  sake,  by  being 
exalted  to  dignity  near  His  person,  what  must 
have  been  their  disappointment,  when  they 
saw  their  King  taken  and  crucified,  having 
been  mocked,  derided,  ridiculed,  and  finally 
overcome,  and  triumphed  over,  both  by  Jew 
and  Gentile?  They  would  gladly  have  died 
in  battle  to  have  placed  Him  upon  the  throne; 
but  tamely  to  submit  without  a  struggle,  to 
give  up  all  their  expectations,  and  sink  in 
despair  from  the  highest  pitch  of  enthusiasm 
to  the  lowest  degradation,  was  more  than 
they  could  well  endure.  They  shrank  back 
in  sorrow,  and  returned  every  man  to  his 
own  net,  or  to  their  several  occupations,  sup- 
posing all  was  over;  probably  with  reflec- 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  103 

tionslike  these:  "Is  this  the  result  of  all  our 
-labors?  was  it  for  this  we  forsook  all 
worldly  objects,  our  friends,  our  houses  and 
lands,  suffering  persecution,  hunger,  fatigue 
and  disgrace?  And  we  trust  it  should  have 
been  He  who  would  have  delivered  Israel; 
but  alas,  they  have  killed  Him,  and  all  is 
over.  For  three  years  we  have  awakened  a 
general  expectation  through  all  Judea,  by 
telling  them  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was 
at  hand,  but  now -our  King  is  dead,  how  shall 
we  dare  to  look  the  people  in  the  face?" 

With  -these  reflections,  each  pursuing  his 
own  course,  all  was  ugain  turned  to  silence, 
and  the  voice  &ad  ceased  to  be  heard  in 
Judea,  crying:  *  'Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  at  hand."  Jesus  slept  in  the 
arms  of  death;  -a  great  stone  with  the  seal  of 
i  of  state,  secured  the  tomb  where  he  lay, 
Awhile  the  Roman  guard  stood  in  watchful 
^silence,  to -see  that  all  was  kept  secure;  when 
suddenly,  from  the  regions  of  glory,  a 
:  mighty -angel  'descended,  at  whose  presence 
rthe  soldiers -fell  back  as  dead  men,  while  he 
rolled  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the 
1  sepulchre,  .and  4he  Son  of  God  awoke  from 
JEJis  slumbers,  bursi,  ?the  bonds  of  death,  and 
.soon  after  appearing  to  Mary,  He  sent  her  to 
the  ^disciples*  with  the  joyful  news  of  Hia 


104  THE  KINGDOM  OP  OOD. 

resurrection,  and  appointed  a  place  to  meet 
them.  When,  after  seeing  Him,  all  their  sor- 
row was  turned  into  joy,  and  all  their  former 
hopes  were  suddenly  revived,  they  had  no 
longer  to  cry— "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
at  hand,"  but  were  to  tarry  at  Jerusalem 
until  the  kingdom  was  established;  and  they 
prepared  to  unlock  the  door  of  the  kingdom, 
and  to  adopt  strangers  and  foreigners  into  it 
as  legal  citizens,  by  administering  certain 
laws  and  ordinances,  which  were  invariably 
the  laws  of  adoption,  and  without  which  no 
man  could  ever  become  a  citizen. 

Having  ascended  up  on  high,  and  having 
been  crowned  with  all  power  in  heaven  and 
on  earth,  He  again  comes  to  His  disciples,  and 
gives  them  their  authority,  saying  unto 
them:  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature.  He  that  be- 
lieveth,  and  is  baptized,  shall  be  saved;  but 
he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  And 
these  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe: 
In  my  name  shall  they  cast  out  devils;  they 
shall  speak  with  new  tongues;  they  shall 
take  up  serpents;  and  if  they  drink  any 
deadly  thing  it  shall1  not *iiurt  them;  they 
shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and  they  shall 
recover."  Mark,  xvi,  15—18.  Now  I  wish 
the  reader  not  to  pass  over  this  commission 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  105 

until  he  understands  it,  because  when  once 
understood,  he  never  need  mistake  the  king- 
dom of  God,  but  will  at  once  discover  those 
peculiarities  which  were  forever  to  distin- 
guish it  from  all  other  kingdoms  or  religious 
systems  on  earth.  Lest  he  should  misunder- 
stand, we  will  analyze  it,  and  look  at  each 
part  carefully  in  its  own  proper  light;  first, 
they  were  to  preach  the  Gospel,  or  in  other 
words,  the  glad  tidings  of  a  crucified  and 
risen  Redeemer,  to  all  the  world;  secondly, 
he  that  believed,  and  was  baptized,  should 
be  saved;  thirdly,  he  that  did  not  believe 
what  they  preached  should  be  damned; 
and  fourthly,  these  signs  should  follow  them 
that  believed:  first,  they  were  to  cast  out 
devils;  second,  to  speak  with  new  tongues; 
third,  to  take  up  serpents;  fourth,  if  they 
drank  any  deadly  thing,  it  should  not  hurt 
them;  fifth,  they  were  to  lay  hands  on  the 
sick,  and  they  should  recover. 

Now,  it  is  wilful  blindness,  or  ignorance  of 
the  English  language,  that  has  ever  caused 
any  misunderstanding  here.  For  some  tell 
us  that  those  signs  were  only  to  follow  the 
Apostles;  and  others,  that  they  were  only  to 
follow  believers  in  that  age.  But  Christ 
places  the  preaching,  believing,  salvation, 
and  the  signs  that  were  to  follow,  all  on  an 


106  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

equal  footing;  where  one  was  limited,  the 
other  must  be;  where  one  ceased,  the  other 
did.  If  the  language  limits  these  signs  to 
the  Apostles,  it  limits  faith  and  salvation  also 
to  them.  If  no  others  were  to  have  these 
signs  follow  them,  then  no  others  were  to  • 
believe,  and  no  others  were  to  be  saved. 
Again,  if  the  language  limits  these  signs  to 
the  first  age  or  ages  of  Christianity,  then  it 
limits  salvation  to  the  first  ages  of  Christian- 
ity, for  one  is  precisely  as  much  limited  as 
the  other;  and  where  one  is  in  force,  the 
other  is;  and  where  one  ends,  the  other  must 
stop.  And  as  well  might  we  say,  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  is  no  longer  needed;  neither 
faith  nor  salvation;  these  were  only  given  at 
first  to  establish  the  Gospel;  as  to  say,  tho 
signs  are  no  longer  necessary,  they  were  only 
given  at  first  to  establish  the  Gospel.  But, 
says  the  astonished  reader:  "Have  not  these 
signs  ceased  from  among  men?"  I  reply, 
prove  that  they  have  ceased,  and  it  will  provo 
that  the  Gospel  has  ceased  to  be  preached,  , 
that  men  have  ceased  to  believe  and  be  j 
saved,  and  that  the  world  is  without  the  i 
kingdom  of  God;  or  else  it  will  prove  that 
Jesus  Christ  was  an  impostor,  and  His 
promises  of  no  effect. 
Now,  having  analyzed  and  understood  this 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  107 

commission,  let  us  still  pursue  the  subject  of 
the  organization  of  the  kingdom  of  God  in 
the  days  of  the  Apostles.  The  Savior,  having 
given  them  their  authority,  commands  them 
to  tarry,  and  not  undertake  their  mission, 
until  they  were  endowed  with  power  from  on 
high.  But  why  this  delay  ?  Because  no  man 
was  ever  qualified,  or  ever  will  be,  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  and  teach  all  things  whatsoever 
Jesus  commanded  him,  without  the  Holy 
Ghost;  and  a  very  different  Holy  Ghost,  too, 
from  the  one  enjoyed  by  men  who  are  not 
inspired,  for  the  Holy  Ghost  of  which  Jesus 
spake  would  guide  into  all  truth,  bring  all 
things  to  remembrance,  whatsoever  He  had 
said  unto  them,  and  show  them  things  to 
come— not  to  mention  that  it  would  enable 
them  to  speak  in  all  the  languages  of  the 
earth.  Now,  a  man  who  preaches  needs  that 
Holy  Ghost  very  much;  first,  to  guide  into 
all  truth,  that  he  may  know  what  to  teach; 
second,  to  strengthen  his  memory,  lest  he 
might  neglect  to  teach  some  of  the  things 
which  were  commanded  him;  and,  third, 
he  needs  to  know  things  to  come,  that  he 
may  forewarn  his  hearers  of  approaching 
danger,  and  that  would  constitute  him  a 
prophet.  From  this,  the  reader  may  see  how 
careful  Jesus  was  that  none  should  preach 


108  THE   KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

His  Gospel  without  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  may 
also  learn  how  different  the  Spirit  of  Truth 
is  from  the  spirit  now  abroad  in  the  earth, 
deceiving  the  world,  under  the  name  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  If  the  churches  of  the  present 
day  have  the  Holy  Ghost,  why  are  they  so 
much  at  a  loss  to  understand  truth?  Why 
do  they  walk  in  so  many  different  ways  and 
doctrines?  Why  do  they  need  whole  libraries 
of  sermons,  tracts,  divinities,  debates,  argu- 
ments, and  opinions,  all  written  by  the  wis- 
dom of  men,  without  even  professing  to  be 
inspired?  Well  doth  the  Lord  complain, 
saying:  "Their  fear  toward  me  is  taught  by 
the  precepts  of  men."  But  to  return;  the 
Apostles  tarried  at  Jerusalem  until  endowed 
with  power,  and  then  they  commenced  to 
proclaim  the  Gospel. 

Here  we  have  discovered  several  things 
towards  a  kingdom:  first,  we  have  found  a 
King,  crowned  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  to 
whom  is  committed  all  power  in  heaven  and 
011  earth;  second,  commissioned  officers,  duly 
appointed  to  administer  the  affairs  of  govern- 
ment; third,  the  laws  by  which  they  were  to 
be  governed  were  ALL  THINGS  WHATSO- 
EVER JESUS  HAD  COMMANDED  HIS  DISCIPLES 
TO  TEACH  THEM. 

And  now,  if  we  can  find  how  men  became 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  109 

citizens  of  that  kingdom,  I  mean  as  to  the 
rules  of  adoption,  then  we  have  found  the 
kingdom  of  God  in  that  age,  and  shall  be 
very  much  dissatisfied  with  every  thing  in 
our  own  age,  professing  to  be  the  kingdom 
of  God,  which  is  not  according  to  the  pattern. 

It  happened  that  there  were  no  naturaj 
born  subjects  of  that  kingdom,  for  both  Jew 
and  Gentile  were  included  in  sin  and  un- 
belief; and  none  could  be  citizens  without 
the  law  of  adoption.  All  that  believed  on 
the  name  of  the  King  had  power  to  be 
adopted,  but  there  was  but  one  invariable 
rule  or  plan  by  which  they  were  adopted; 
and  all  that  undertook  to  claim  citizenship, 
in  any  other  way  whatever,  were  counted 
thieves  and  robbers,  and  could  never  obtain 
the  seal  of  adoption.  This  rule  was  laid 
down  in  the  Savior's  teaching  to  Nicodemus, 
namely:  "Except  a  man  be  born  of  water 
(that  is,  baptized  in  water),  and  of  the  Spirit 
(that  is,  baptized  with  the  Spirit),  he  cannot 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God." 

Now,  to  Peter  were  given  the  keys  of  tho 
kingdom;  therefore  it  wafi  his  duty  to  open 
the  kingdom  to  Jew  and  also  to  Gentile. 
We  will  therefore  carefully  examine  the 
manner  in  which  he  did  adopt  the  Jews  into 
tho  kingdom  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 


110  THE  KINGDOM  OF~GOD. 

Now,  when  the  multitude  came  running 
together  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  Apostle 
Peter,  standing  up  with  the  eleven,  lifted  up 
his  voice  and  reasoned  with  them  from  the 
Scriptures,  testifying  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
His  resurrection  and  ascension  on  high— in- 
somuch that  many  became  convinced  of  the 
truth,  and  inquired  what  they  should  do. 
These  were  not  Christians,  but  they  were 
people  who  were  that  moment  convinced 
that  Jesus  was  the  Christ;  and  because  they 
were  convinced  of  this  fact,  they  inquired — 
"What  shall  we  do?"  Then  Peter  said  unto 
them:  "Repent  and  be  baptized,  every  one  of 
you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins,  and  you  shall  receive  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  for  the  promise  is 
unto  you,  and  your  children,  and  to  all  that 
are  afar  of,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our 
God  shall  call."  My  reader,  do  you  under- 
stand this  proclamation?  If  you  do,  you 
will  see  that  -this  Gospel  is  not  generally 
preached  in  modern  times.  Let  us  therefore 
analyze  and  examine  it,  sentence  by  sentence. 
Tou  recollect  they  already  believed,  and  the 
next  thing  was  for  them  to  repent;  first, 
faith;  second,  repentance;  third,  baptism; 
fourth,  remission  of  sins;  and  fifth,  the 
Holy  Ghost.  This  was  the  order  of  the  Gos- 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  Ill 

pel.  Faith  gave  the  power  to  become  sons,  or 
citizens;  repentance,  and  baptism  in  His 
name,  was  the  obedience  through  which  they 
were  adopted;  and  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise 
was  the  seal  of  their  adoption,  and  this 
they  were  sure  to  receive  if  they  would  obey. 
Now,  reader,  where  do  you  hear  such 
preaching  in  our  day?  Who  teaches  that 
those  who  believe  and  repent,  should  be 
baptized,  and  none  others?  Perhaps  the 
reader  may  say  the  Baptists  do;  but  do  they 
call  upon  men  to  be  baptized  as  soon  as  they 
believe  and  repent?  And  moreover,  do  they 
promise  the  remission  of  sins,  with  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost?  Recollect,  now,  what 
effect  the  Holy  Ghost  has  upon  people  who 
receive  it.  It  will  guide  them  into  all  truth, 
strengthen  the  memory,  and  show  them 
things  to  come.  And  Joel  has  said,  it  would 
cause  them  to  dream  dreams,  to  see  visions, 
and  to  prophesy.  O !  my  reader,  where 
do  you  find  a  Gospel  like  this  preached 
among  men?  Would  men  go  mourning  for 
weeks  upon  weeks,  without  the  forgiveness 
of  sins,  or  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  if 
Peter  stood  among  us  to  tell  precisely  how  to 
get  such  blessings?  Now,  what  would  you 
think  of  a  camp  meeting,  where  three 
thousand  men  should  come  forward  to  be 


112  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

prayed  for,  and  one  of  the  ministers  should 
(Peter  like)  command  them  every  one  to 
repent,  and  be  baptized  for  the  remission  of 
sins,  promising  that  all  who  obeyed  should 
receive  the  remission  of  sins  and  the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  which  should  cause  them  to 
dream  dreams  and  prophesy;  and  then 
should  arise  with  his  brethren  of  the  same 
calling,  and  the  same  hour  commence  baptiz- 
iiig,and  continue  until  they  had  baptized  them 
all;  and  the  Holy  Ghost  should  fall  upon 
them,  and  they  begin  to  see  visions,  speak 
in  other  tongues,  and  prophecy?  Would  not 
the  news  go  abroad,  far  and  wide,  that  a  new 
doctrine  had  made  its  appearance,  quite 
different  from  any  thing  now  practised 
among  men?  O  yes,  says  the  reader,  this,  to 
be  sure,  would  be  something  new,  and  very 
strange  to  all  of  us.  Well,  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  it  is  the  Gospel,  as  preached  by  Peter 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost;  and  Paul  declares 
that  he  preached  the  same  Gospel  that  Peter 
did;  and  he  has  also  said:  "Though  we,  or 
an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any  other 
gospel,  let  him  be  accursed."  Now,  the  reader 
need  no  longer  be  astonished  to  see  that  these 
signs  do  not  follow  them  that  believe  some 
other  gospel,  or  doctrine,  different  from  that 
preached  by  the  Apostles. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  113 

But  now  let  us  return  to  the  kingdom  of 
God  organized  in  the  days  of  the  Apostlesi 
you  discover  that  three  thousand  persons 
were  adopted  into  the  kingdom  the  first  day 
the  door  was  opened.  These,  together  with 
the  numerous  additions  which  were  after- 
wards made,  were  the  subjects  of  this  king- 
dom; which,  being  fitly  framed  together, 
grew  into  a  holy  temple  in  the  Lord.  Thus, 
we  have  cleared  away  the  rubbish  of  secta- 
rian tradition  and  superstition,  which  arose  in 
heaps  around  us;  and  having  searched  care- 
fully, we  have  at  length  discovered  the 
kingdom  of  God,  as  it  existed  at  its  first 
organization  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles; 
and  we  have  seen  that  it  differs  widely  from 
all  modern  systems  of  religion,  both  in  its 
offices,  ordinances,  powers,  and  privileges, 
insomuch  that  no  man  need  ever  mistake 
the  one  for  the  other. 

Having  made  this  discovery,  we  shall  pro- 
ceed to  examine  the  progress  of  the  kingdom 
among  Jew  and  Gentile;  and  what  were  its 
fruits,  gifts,  and  blessings  as  enjoyed  by  its 
citizens. 

Soon  after  the  organization  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  at  Jerusalem,  Philip  came  to  Samaria, 
and  there  preached  the  Gospel:  and  when 
they  believed  Philip,  they  were  baptized, 

8 


114  THE    KINGDOM   OF  GOD. 

both  men  and  women,  and  had  great  joy. 
And  afterwards,  Peter  and  John  came  from 
Jerusalem,  and  prayed,  and  laid  their  hands 
on  them,  and  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Mark  here,  they  first  believed,  and  then  were 
baptized,  having  great  joy,  and  yet  had  not 
received  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  that  was 
afterwards  given,  by  the  laying  on  of  hands 
and  prayer,  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  O  how 
different  from  the  systems  of  men! 

Witness  Paul's  conversion  while  on  his 
journey  to  Damascus:  the  Lord  Jesus  ap- 
peared to  him  in  the  way;  but  instead  of 
telling  him  his  sins  were  forgiven,  and 
pouring  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  him,  He  sent 
him  to  Damascus,  telling  him  that  it  should 
there  be  told  him  what  he  should  do.  And 
coming  to  Damascus,  Ananias  being  sent, 
commanded  him  not  to  tarry,  but  to  "arise 
and  be  baptized,  and  wash  away  his  sins, 
calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord;"  then  he 
arose  and  was  baptized,  and  was  even  filled 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  straightway 
preached  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ. 

Again,  witness  Peter  going  to  Cornelius, 
a  Gentile  of  great  piety,  whose  prayers  were 
heard,  and  whose  alms  were  remembered, 
and  who  had  even  attained  to  the  minister- 
ing of  an  angel;  yet  with  all  his  piety,  and 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  115 

the  Holy  Ghost  poured  out  upon  him  and 
his  friends,  before  they  were  baptized,  they 
must  be  baptized,  or  they  could  not  be  saved. 
Why?  Because  the  Lord  had  commanded 
the  Apostles  to  preach  to  every  creature,  and 
every  creature  who  would  not  belie've  and 
be  baptized,  should  be  damned,  without  one 
exception.  Witness  the  words  of  the  angel 
to  Cornelius:  "He  (Peter)  shall  tell  thee 
words  whereby  thou  and  all  thy  house  shall 
be  saved."  Now,  query,  could  Cornelius 
have  been  saved  without  obeying  the  words 
of  Peter?  If  so,  the  angel's  errand  was  in 
vain. 

Now,  perhaps  a  minister,  who  should  find 
a  man  as  good  as  Cornelius  was,  would  say 
to  him;  "Go  on,  brother,  you  can  be  saved, 
you  have  experienced  religion,  you  may 
indeed  be  baptized  to  answer  a  good  con- 
science, if  you  feel  it  your  duty;  or,  if  not, 
it  is  no  matter,  a  new  heart  is  all  that  is 
really  necessary  to  salvation,"  etc.;  as  much 
as  to  say,  that  the  commandments  of  Jesus 
are  not  absolutely  necessary  to  salvation;  a 
man  may  call  him  Lord,  Lord,  and  be  saved, 
just  as  well  as  by  keeping  His  command- 
ments. Oh  vain  and  foolish  doctrine!  Oh 
ye  children  of  men,  how  have  you  per- 
verted the  Gospel!  In  vain  do  ye  call  Him 


116  THE   KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

Lord,  Lord,  and  do  not  obey  His  command- 
ments. 

Next,  we  call  to  mind  the  jailor  and  his 
household,  who  were  baptized  the  same  hour 
they  believed,  without  waiting  for  the  day; 
and  Lydia  and  her  household,  who  attended 
to  the  ordinance  the  first  sermon  they  heard 
on  the  subject.  Also  Philip  and  the  eunuch, 
who  stopped  the  chariot  at  the  first  water 
they  came  to,  in  order  to  attend  to  the  ordi- 
nance, although  the  eunuch  had  heard  of 
Jesus,  for  the  first  time,  only  a  few  minutes 
before.  Now,  I  gather  from  all  those  ex- 
amples of  ancient  days,  and  from  the  pre- 
cepts laid  down  in  them,  that  baptism  was 
the  initiating  ordinance,  by  which  all  those 
who  believed  and  repented  were  received  and 
adopted  into  the  church  or  kingdom  [of  God, 
so  as  to  be  entitled  to  the  remission  of  sins, 
and  the  blessing  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  indeed, 
it  was  the  ordinance  through  which  they  be- 
came sons  and  daughters;  and  because  they 
were  sons,  the  Lord  shed  forth  the  Spirit  of 
His  Son  into  their  hearts,  crying,  Abba, 
Father.  It  is  true,  the  Lord  poured  out  the 
Holy  Ghost  upon  Cornelius  and  his  friends, 
before  they  were  baptized;  but  it  seemed 
necessary,  in  order  to  convince  the  believing 
Jews  that  the  Gentiles  also  had  part  in  this 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  H7 

salvation.  And  I  believe  this  is  the  only  in- 
stance, in  the  whole  record,  of  the  people  re- 
ceiving the  Holy  Ghost  without  first  obeying 
the  laws  of  adoption. 

But  mark!  Obeying  the  laws  of  adoption 
would  not  constitute  a  man  an  heir-  of  the 
kingdom,  a  citizen  entitled  to  the  blessings 
and  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  unless  those  laws  and 
ordinances  were  administered  by  one  who 
had  proper  authority, and  was  duly  commis- 
sioned from  the  King;  and  a  commission 
given  to  one  individual  could  never  author- 
ize another  to  act  in  his  stead.  This  is  one  of 
the  most  important  points  to  be  understood, 
as  it  brings  to  the  test  every  minister  in 
Christendom;  and  questions  the  organiza- 
tion of  every  church  on  earth,  and  all  that 
have  existed  since  direct  inspiration  ceased. 

Now,  in  order  to  come  at  this  subject  in 
plainness,  let  us  examine  the  constitution  of 
earthly  governments  in  regard  to  the  authori- 
ty and  laws  of  adoption.  We  will  say,  for 
instance,  the  President  of  the  United  States 
writes  a  commission  to  A.  B.,  duly  authoriz- 
ing him  to  act  in  some  office  in  the  govern- 
ment, and,  during  his  administration,  two 
gentlemen  from  Europe  come  to  reside  in 
this  country,  and,  being  strangers  and  for- 
eigners wishing  to  become  citizens,  they  go 


118  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

before  A.  B.,  and  he  administers  the  oath  of 
allegiance  in  due  form,  and  certifies  the  same, 
and  this  constitutes  them  legal  citizens,  en- 
titled to  all  the  privileges  of  those  who  are 
citizens  or  subjects  by  birth.  After  these 
things,  A.  B.  is  taken  away  by  death,  and  C. 
D.,  in  looking  over  his  papers,  happens  to 
find  the  commission  given  to  A.  B.,  and,  ap- 
plying it  to  his  own  use,  assumes  the  vacant 
office;  meantime,  two  foreigners  arrive,  and 
apply  for  citizenship,  and  being  informed  by 
persons  ignorant  of  the  affairs  of  govern- 
ment, that  C.  D.  could  administer  the  laws  of 
adoption,  they  submit  to  be  administered 
unto  by  C*  D.,  without  once  examining  his 
authority;  C.  D.  certifies  of  their  citizenship, 
and  they  suppose  they  have  been  legally 
adopted,  the  same  as  the  others,  and  are  en- 
titled to  all  the  privileges  of  citizenship.  But 
by  and  by,  their  citizenship  is  called  in 
question,  and  they  produce  the  certificate  of 
C.  D.;  the  President  inquires— "Who  is  O.D.? 
I  never  gave  him  a  commission  to  act  in  any 
office,  I  know  him  not,  and  you  are  strangers 
and  foreigners  to  the  commonwealth,  until 
you  go  before  the  legally  appointed  successor 
of  A.  B.,  or  some  other  of  like  authority, 
who  has  a  commission  from  the  President 
direct  in  his  own  name."  In  the  meantime, 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  119 

C.  D.  is  taken  and  punished  according  to  law, 
for  practising  imposition,  and  usurping 
authority  which  was  never  conferred  upon 
him. 

And  so  it  is  with  the  kingdom  of  God. 
The  Lord  authorized  the  Apostles  and  others 
by  direct  revelation,  and  by  the  spirit  of 
prophecy,  to  preach  and  baptize,  and  build 
up  His  church  and  kingdom;  but  after  a 
while  they  died,  and  a  long  time  passed  away, 
and  men,  reading  over  their  commission, 
where  it  says  to  the  eleven  Apostles— "Go  ye 
into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to 
every  creature,"  etc,,  have  had  the  presump- 
tion to  apply  these  sayings  as  their  authority, 
and  without  any  other  commission,  have 
gone  forth  professing  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
and  baptize,  and  build  up  the  church  and 
kingdom  of  God;  but  those  whom  they  bap- 
tize never  receive  the  same  blessings  and 
gifts  which  characterized  a  saint  or  citizen  of 
the  kingdom  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles. 
Why?  Because  they  are  yet  foreigners  and 
strangers,  for  the  commission  given  to  the 
Apostles  never  commissioned  any  other  man 
to  act  in  their  stead.  This  was  a  prerogative  . 
the  Lord  reserved  unto  himself.  No  man  has 
a  right  to  take  this  ministry  upon  himself, 
but  he  that  is  called  by  revelation,  and  duly 


120  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

qualified  to  act  in  his  calling  by  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

But  the  reader  inquires  with  astonishment, 
"What!  are  none  of  all  the  ministers  of  the 
present  day  called  to  the  ministry,  and 
legally  commissioned?' '  Well,  my  reader,  I 
will  tell  you  how  you  may  ascertain  from 
their  own  mouths,  and  that  will  be  far  better 
than  an  answer  from  me;  go  to  the  clergy, 
and  ask  them  if  God  has  given  them  any 
direct  revelation  since  the  New  Testament 
was  finished;  inquire  of  them  whether  the 
gift  of  prophecy  ceased  with  the  early  age  of 
the  church;  and,  in  short,  ask  them  if  reve- 
lations, prophets,  the  ministering  of  angels, 
etc.,  are  needed  or  expected  in  these  days,  or 
whether  they  believe  that  these  things  are 
done  away,  no  more  to  return  to  the  earth; 
and  their  answer  will  be  that  the  Bible  con- 
tains sufficient,  and  that  since  the  canon  of 
Scripture  was  filled,  revelation,  the  spirit  of 
prophecy  and  the  ministering  of  angels  have 
ceased,  because  no  longer  needed.  In  short, 
they  will  denounce  every  man  as  an  impostor 
who  pretends  to  any  such  thing.  And  when 
you  have  obtained  this  answer,  ask  them 
how  they  themselves  were  called  and  com- 
missioned to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  they 
will  be  at  a  loss  to  answer  you,  and  will 


THE   KINGDOM  OP  GOD.  121 

finally  tell  you  that  the  Bible  commissioned 
them,  saying — "Go  ye  into  all  the  world," 
etc.  Thus,  you  see,  all  who  have  no  direct 
personal  revelation  from  the  King  of  heaven, 
either  by  angels,  the  voice  of  God,  or  the 
spirit  of  prophecy,  are  acting  under  authori- 
ty which  was  given  to  others,  who  are  dead, 
and  their  commission  stolen,  and  their 
authority  usurped;  and  the  King  will  say — 
"Peter  I  know,  and  Paul  I  know,  I  commis- 
sioned them,  but  who  are  you?  I  know  you 
not,  I  never  spoke  to  you  in  my  life;  indeed 
you  believed  it  was  not  necessary  for  me  to 
speak  in  your  day.  Therefore  you  never 
sought  in  faith  for  any  revelation,  and  I 
never  gave  you  any;  and  even  when  I  spake 
to  others,  you  mocked  them,  and  called  them 
impostors,  and  persecuted  them,  because 
they  testified  of  the  things  I  had  said  unto 
them,  therefore  depart  from  me,  ye  cursed, 
into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil 
and  his  angels:  for  I  was  an  hungered,  and 
ye  fed  me  not;  I  was  naked,  and  ye  clothed 
me  not;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me 
not  in;  sick  and  in  prison  and  ye  visited  me 
not."  "Ah!  Lord,  when  did  we  fail  in  any  of 
these  things?"  "Inasmuch  as  you  have  not 
done  it  unto  the  least  of  these  my  brethren 
(taking  thenl  for  impostors,  because  they  tes- 


122  THE  KINGDOM  OP  GOB. 

tified  of  the  things  which  I  had  revealed 
unto  them),  ye  have  not  done  it  unto  me." 
But  to  return:  having  examined  the  kingdom, 
of  God  as  to  its  offices  and  ordinances,  and 
having  discovered  the  only  means  of  adop- 
tion into  it,  let  us  examine  more  fully  what 
are  the  blessings,  privileges,  and  enjoyments 
of  its  citizens.  You  have  already  seen  that 
they  were  to  cast  out  devils,  speak  with  new 
tongues,  heal  the  sick  by  the  laying  on  of 
hands  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  as  well  as  to  see 
visions,  dream  dreams,  prophesy,  etc. 

But  let  us  look  at  the  kingdom  in  it  organ- 
ized state,  and  see  whether  these  promises 
were  verified  to  Jew  and  Gentile,  wherever 
the  kingdom  of  God  was  found  in  all  ages  of 
the  world. 

Paul  writing,  first,  "To  the  church  of  God 
at  Corinth;"  second,  "To  them  that  are  sanc- 
tified in  Christ  Jesus;"  third,  "To  them  who 
are  called  to  be  saints;"  and  fourth,  "To  all 
that  in  every  place  call  on  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord,"  says  to  them  all,  in  1  Cor- 
inthians, xii,  1:  "Now,  concerning  spiritual 
gifts j  brethren,  I  would  not  have  you  igno- 
rant." And  then,  continuing  his  instructions, 
a  few  verses  further  on,  he  says:  "But  the 
manifestation  of  the  Spirit  is  given  to  every 
man  to  profit  withal;  for  to  one  is  given,  by 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  123 

the  Spirit,  the  word  of  wisdom;  to  another 
:  the  word  of  knowledge  by  the  same  Spirit;  to 
another  faith  by  the  same  Spirit;  to  another,the 
gifts  of  healing  by  the  same  Spirit;  to  another, 
the  working  of  miracles;  to  another,  prophe- 
cy; to  another,  discerning  of  spirits;  to 
another,  divers  kinds  of  tongues;  to  another, 
the  interpretation  of  tongues;  but  all  these 
worketh  that  one  and  the  self-same  Spirit, 
dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  He 
(Christ)  will.  For  as  the  body  is  one,  and 
hath  many  members,  and  all  the  members 
of  that  one  body,  being  many,  are  one  body; 
so  also  is  Christ.  For  by  one  Spirit  are  we 
all  baptized  into  one  body,  whether  we  be 
Jews  or  Gentiles,  whether  we  be  bond  or 
free;  and  have  been  all  made  to  drink  into 
one  Spirit.  For  the  body  is  not  one  member, 
but  many.  If  the  foot  shall  say,  because  I 
am  not  the  hand,  I  am  not  of  the  body;  is  it 
therefore  not  of  the  body?  And  if  the  ear 
shall  say,  because  I  am  not  the  eye,  I  am 
not  of  the  body;  is  it  therefore  not  of  the 
body?  If  the  whole  body  were  an  eye, 
where  were  the  hearing?  If  the  whole  were 
hearing,  where  were  the  smelling?  But  now 
hath  Got  set  the  members,  everyone  of  them 
in  the  body,  as  it  hath  pleased  Him.  And  if 
they  were  all  one  member,  where  were  the 


124  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

body?"  I  reply,  it  would  not  exist.  "But 
now  are  they  many  members,  yet  but  one 
body.  And  the  eye  cannot  say  unto  the 
hand,  I  have  no  need  of  thee;  nor  again,  the 
head  to  the  feet,  I  have  no  need  of  you.  Nay, 
much  more  those  members  of  the  body 
which  seem  to  be  more  feeble,  are  necessary; 
and  those  members  of  the  body  which  we 
think  to  be  less  honorable,  upon  these  we 
bestow  more  abundant  honor:  and  our  un- 
comely parts  have  more  abundant  comeli- 
ness. For  our  comely  parts  have  no  need: 
but  God  hath  tempered  the  body  together, 
having  given  more  abundant  honor  to  that 
part  which  lacked:  that  there  should  be  no 
schism  in  the  body;  but  that  the  members 
should  have  the  same  care  for  one  another. 
And  whether  one  member  suffer,  all  the 
members  suffer  with  ifc;  or  one  member  be 
honored,  all  the  members  rejoice  with  it. 
Now,  ye  are  the  body  of  Christ,  and  mem- 
bers in  particular.  And  God  hath  set  some 
in  the  church,  first,  apostles;  secondarily, 
prophets;  thirdly,  teachers;  after  that,  mira- 
cles, then  gifts  of  healings,  helps,  govern- 
ments, diversities  of  tongues.  Are  all 
apostles?  are  all  prophets?  are  all  teachers? 
are  all  workers  of  miracles?  Have  all  the 
gifts  of  healing?  do  all  speak  with  tongues? 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  125 

do  all  interpret?  But  covet  earnestly  the 
best  gifts:  and  yet  shew  I  unto  you  a  more 
excellent  way."  From  the  thirteenth  verse 
of  the  above  chapter,  we  learn  that  the 
Apostle  is  still  speaking  to  the  whole  church 
in  all  ages,  whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  bond  or 
free,  even  all  who  should  ever  compose  the 
body  of  Christ,  and  showing  that  Christ's 
body  consisted  of  many  members,  baptized 
by  one  spirit  into  one  body,  possessing  all 
these  different  gifts,  some  one  gift,  and  some 
another:  and  then  expressly  says,  that  one 
member  possessing  one  gift,  should  not  say 
to  another  member  possessing  another  gift, 
we  have  no  need  of  thee. 

And  having  shown  that  it  required  apostles, 
prophets,  evangelists,  pastors,  and  teachers; 
together  with  the  gifts  of  prophecy,  miracles, 
healing,  and  all  other  gifts,  to  compose  the 
church,  or  body  of  Christ,  in  any  age, 
whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  bond  or  free;  and 
having  utterly  forbidden  any  of  the  mem- 
bers ever  to  say,  of  any  of  these  gifts:  "We 
have  no  need  of  thee,"  He  declares  the  body 
never  could  be  perfected  without  all  of  them  > 
and  that  if  they  were  done  away,  there  would 
be  no  body,  that  is,  no  church  of  Christ  in 
existence.  Having  shown  all  these  things 
clearly,  he  exhorts  them  to  covet  earnestly 


126  THE  KINGDOM   OF  GOD. 

the  best  gifts.  And  in  the  thirteenth  chapter, 
exhorts  them  to  faith,  hope,  and  charity, 
without  which  all  these  gifts  would  avail 
them  nothing:  and  in  the  fourteenth  chapter 
repeats  the  exhortation:  "Follow  after 
charity,  and  desire  spiritual  gifts,  but  rather 
that  ye  may  prophesy. "  Again,  in  Ephe- 
sians,  i,  17,  Paul  prays  that  the  Lord  would 
give  unto  the  church  the  Spirit  of  WISDOM 
and  of  REVELATION,  in  the  KNOWLEDGE  of 
God.  Again,  in  Ephesians,  iv,  he  tells  them 
there  is  one  body  and  one  Lord,  one  Spirit, 
one  faith,  and  one  baptism;  and  that  Christ 
ascended  up  on  high,  led  captivity  captive, 
and  gave  gifts  to  men.  And  He  gave  some 
apostles;  and  some,  prophets;  and  some, 
evangelists;  and  some,  pastors  and  teachers. 
And  if  the  reader  inquire  what  these  gifts  or 
offices  were  for,  let  him  read  the  twelfth 
verse:  "For  the  perfecting  of  the  saints, 
for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edify- 
ing of  the  body  of  Christ. "  And  if  he  in- 
quire how  long  these  were  to  continue,  the 
thirteenth  verse  says:  "Till  we  all  come  in 
the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  Sun  of  God,  unto  a  perfect  man,  unto 
the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of 
Christ."  And  if  he  still  inquire  what  further 
Object  Christ  had  in  giving  these  gifts,  lefc 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  127 

him  read  the  fourteenth  verse:  "Tttat  we 
henceforth  be  no  more  children,  tossed  to 
and  fro,  and  carried  about  with  every  wind 
of  doctrine,  by  the  sleight  of  men,  and  cun- 
ning craftiness,  whereby  they  lie  in  wait  to 
deceive." 

Now,  without  these  gifts  and  offices, 
first,  the  saints  cannot  be  perfected;  second, 
the  work  of  the  ministry  cannot  proceed; 
third,  the  body  of  Christ  cannot  be  edified; 
and  fourth,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  them 
from  being  carried  about  with  every  wind 
of  doctrine.  Now,  I  boldly  declare  that  the 
cause  of  all  the  division,  confusion,  jars,  dis- 
cord, and  animosities;  and  the  fruitful 
source  of  so  many  faiths,  lords,  baptisms, 
and  spirits;  and  of  the  understanding  being 
darkened;  and  of  men  being  alienated  from 
the  life  of  God,  through  the  ignorance 
that  is  in  them,  because  of  the  blindness  of 
their  hearts,  is,  because  they  have  neither 
apostles,  prophets,  nor  gifts,  inspired  from 
on  high,  to  whom  they  give  heed;  for,  if 
they  had  such  gifts,  and  would  give  heed 
unto  them,  they  would  be  built  up  in  one 
body,  in  the  pure  doctrine  of  Christ,  having 
one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism,  and  one 
hope  of  their  calling;  yea,  they  would  bo 
edified,  built  up  unto  Christ  in  all  things,  in 


128  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 

whom  the  whole  body,  fitly  joined  together, 
would  grow  into  an  holy  temple  in  the  Lord. 

But  so  long  as  the  cunning  craftiness  of 
men  can  persuade  them  that  they  have  no 
need  of  these  things,  so  long  they  can  toss 
them  about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine, 
just  as  they  please. 

Now,  reader,  I  have  done  our  examination 
of  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  it  ex'stel  in  the 
Apostles'  days;  and  we  cannot  look  at  it  in 
any  other  age,  until  renewed  again  in  the 
last  days,  for  it  never  did,  nor  never  will 
exist,  without  apostles  and  prophets,  and  all 
the  other  gifts  of  the  Spirit. 

Were  we  to  take  a  view  of  the  churches, 
from  the  days  that  inspiration  ceased  until 
now,  we  should  see  nothing  like  the  kingdom 
which  we  have  been  viewing  with  such  ad- 
miration and  delight.  But  instead  of 
apostles  and  prophets,  we  should  see  false 
teachers,  whom  men  had  heaped  to  them- 
selves; and  instead  of  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit, 
we  should  see  the  wisdom  of  men;  and 
instead  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  many  false 
spirits;  instead  of  the  ordinances  of  God, 
commandments  of  men;  instead  of  knowl- 
edge, opinion;  guess  work,  instead  of  reve- 
lation; division,  instead  of  union;  doubt,  in- 
stead of  faith;  despair,  instead  of  hope; 


THT3  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  129 

hatred,  instead  of  charity;  a'  physician,  in- 
stead of  the  laying  on  of  hands  for  the  heal- 
ing of  the  sick;  fables,  instead  of  truth,  evil 
for  good,  good  for  evil;  darkness  for  light, 
light  for  darkness,  and  in  a  word,  anti- 
Christ  instead  of  Christ;  the  powers  of  earth 
having  made  war  with  the  saints/and  over- 
come them,  until  the  words  of  God  should 
be  fulfilled. 

O  my  God,  shut  up  the  vision!  for  my 
heart  sickens  while  I  gaze;  and  let  the  day 
hasten  on  when  the  earth  shall  be  cleansed 
by  fire  from  such  awful  pollutions;  but  first, 
let  Thy  promise  be  fulfilled,  which  Thou  didst 
make  by  the  mouth  of  Thy  servant  John, 
that  Thou  wouldst  call  Thy  people  out  of  her, 
saying:  "Come  out  of  her,  my  people,  thatye 
be  not  partakers  of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  re- 
ceive not  of  her  plagues;"  and  then,  O  Lord, 
when  Thou  hast  called  Thy  people  out  from 
the  midst  of  her,  by  the  fishers  and  hunters 
whom  Thou  hast  promised  to  send  in  the  last 
days  to  gather  Israel;  yea,  when  Thine  ever- 
lasting covenant  has  been  renewed,  and  Thy 
people  established  thereby;  then  let  her 
plagues  come  in  one  day,  death,  mourning, 
and  famine;  let  her  be  burned  with  fire;  that 
the  holy  Apostles  and  Prophets,  and  all  that 
fear  Thy  name,  small  and  great,  may  rejoice, 


130  THE   BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

because  Thou  hast  avenged  the  blood  of  Thy 
saints  upon  her.  I  ask  these  things  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  Amen. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   BOOK  OP   MORMON— ORIGIN  OF  THE 
AMERICAN  INDIANS,   ETC. 

Ye  gloomy  scenes,  far  hence,  intrude  no  more! 
Sublimer  themes  invite  the  muse  to  soar 
In  loftier  strains,  while  scenes  both  strange  and  new 
Burst  on  the  sight,  and  open  to  the  view. 

Lo!  from  the  opening  heavens,  in  bright  array 
An  angel  comes — to  earth  he  bends  his  way: 
Reveals  to  man,  in  power,  as  at  the  first, 
The  fulness  of  the  Gospel  long  since  lost. 

See  earth,  obedient,  from  its  bosom  yield 
The  sacred  truth  it  faithfully  concealed. 
The  wise,  confounded,  startle  at  the  sight, 
The  proud  and  haughty  tremble  with  affright. 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  131 

The  hireling  priests  against  the  truth  engage, 
While  hell  beneath  stands  trembling,  filled  with  rage; 
False  are  their  hopes,  and  all  their  struggles  vain; 
Their  craft  must  fall,  and  with  it  all  their  gain; 
The  deaf  must  hear,  the  meek  their  joy  increase; 
The  poor  be  glad,  and  their  oppression  cease. 

WHILE  darkness  covered  the  earth,  and 
gross  darkness  the  people,  every  man  walk- 
ing in  his  own  way,  and  looking  for  gain 
from  his  quarter,  the  Lord  having  for  a  long 
time  held  His  peace,  and  the  people  having 
fondly  flattered  themselves  that  the  voice  of 
inspiration  would  never  again  sound  in  the 
ears  of  mortals,  to  disturb  or  molest  them  in 
their  sinful  career;  while  a  few  were  looking 
for  the  consolation  of  Israel,  and  crying  to 
God  for  the  ushering  in  of  that  long-expect- 
ed day,  when  an  angel  should  fly  through 
the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting 
Gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on 
the  earth— suddenly,  a  voice  is  heard  from  the 
wilderness,  a  cry  salutes  the  ears  of  mortals, 
a  testimony  is  heard  among  them,  piercing 
to  the  inmost  recesses  of  their  hearts,  when 
all  at  once  the  heathen  begin  to  rage,  and  the 
people  to  imagine  a  vain  thing;  the  clergy 
Vift  a  warning  voice,  crying  impostor,  false 
prophets,  beware  of  delusion,  etc.;  while  the 


132  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

professor  of  religion,  the  drunkard,  the 
swearer,  the  learned ,  and  the  ignorant  soon 
catch  the  sound  and  reiterate  it  again  and 
again.  Thus  it  re-echoes  from  one  end  of 
our  country  to  the  other,  for  a  long  time,  and 
if  any  one  should  be  so  fortunate  as  to  retain 
his  sober  senses,  and  should  candidly  inquire, 
"What  is  the  matter?"  the  reply  is:  "We 
hardly  know  anything  about  it,  but  suffice  it 
to  say,  some  fellows  have  made  their  ap- 
pearance, Paul  like;  who  testify  something 
about  the  ministering  of  angels,,  or  somo 
revelation  or  inspiration,  just  as  though  the 
religion  of  ancient  days,  and  the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  saints,  were  returning  to  the 
earth  in  this  enlightened  age;  so  that  not 
only  this  our  craft  is  in  danger,  but  our 
modern  systems  of  religion,  built  upon  the 
wisdom  and  learning  of  men,  without  direct 
inspiration,  are  like  to  be  spoken  against,and 
their  great  magnificence  despised,  though 
worshiped  by  all  the  world."  And  then 
all  again  cry  with  a  loud  voice,  saying: 
"Great  is  the  wisdom  of  man;  great  are  the 
systems  of  modern  divinity;  great  is  the 
wisdom  of  uninspired  priests,  who  come 
unto  us  with  excellency  of  speech,  and  with 
man's  wisdom,  determined  to  know  nothing 
aniong  us  save  opinions  and  creeds  of  their 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  133 

own;  and  their  speech,  and  their  preaching, 
are  with  enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom, 
not  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  of 
power,  for  that  is  done  away,  that  our  faith 
should  not  stand  in  the  power  of  God,  but 
in  the  wisdom  of  man." 

In  the  midst  of  the  noise  and  "clamor,  and 
prejudice  of  an  opposing  world,  it  is  difficult 
to  get  the  people  to  understand  the  facts  of 
the  case,  in  relation  to  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant subjects  ever  presented  to  the  con- 
sideration of  mankind. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  has  perhaps  been 
less  understood,  and  more  misrepresented, 
by  the  world  at  large,  than  any  other  publi- 
cation which  has  ever  appeared. 

America  and  England  have,  as  it  were, 
been  flooded  with  publications  against  the 
said  book;  and  many  of  them  written  by 
those  who  had  never  seen  the  book,  or  by 
those  who  had  only  read  a  page  or  two  in  it, 
or  slightly  looked  it  through  with  a  biassed 
mind,  and  a  determination  to  find  fault.  By 
some  of  these  it  has  been  represented  as  a 
romance;  by  others,  as  a  new  Bible,  calcu- 
lated to  displace  the  Bible,  or  do  away  with 
it.  Some  have  pronounced  it  a  "silly  mess 
of  stuff,"  not  worth  the  perusal;  and  others, 
the  most  ingenious  literary  work  ever  put 


134  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

together.  Some  have  found  fault  with  it  for 
being  so  much  like  the  Bible,  and  agreeing 
with  it;  and  others  have  condemned  it  for 
not  being  sufficiently  like  the  Bible,  and  for 
disagreeing  with  it.  Some  have  denounced 
it  as  notoriously  corrupt,  immoral,  and 
blasphemous  in  its  principles;  and  others 
have  condemned  it  for  being  so  exceedingly 
pure  and  moral  in  its  principles,  as  to  be  just 
calculated  to  deceive.  One  clergyman,  in 
particular,  in  a  tract  of  sixty  pages  on  this 
book,  condemns  it  for  being  "a  strange  mix- 
ture of  faith  and  works,  of  the  mercy  of  God 
and  the  obedience  of  the  creature."  Some 
literary  persons  have  pronounced  it  as  al- 
together ancient  in  its  style,  language,  and 
subjects,  and  as  bearing  great  internal  evi- 
dence of  its  own  antiquity;  while  others  have 
condemned  it,  as  bearing  every  mark  of 
being  a  modern  production.  Some  have 
said  that  there  were  no  definite  predictions 
of  the  future  contained  in  it,  by  the  fulfil- 
ment or  failure  of  which  its  prophetic 
merits  might  be  tested;  and  others  have 
quoted  largely  from  its  most  plain  and 
pointed  predictions,  which  relate  to  circum- 
stances about  to  be  fulfilled,  and  have  con^ 
demned  it  on  account  of  its  plainness. 
In  the  midst  of  all  these  jarring  statements, 


•       THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  135 

it  now  becomes  our  duty  to  show,  as  far  as 
possible,  what  the  Book  of  Mormon  really  is. 

When  the  Lord  confounded  the  languages 
at  Babel,  he  led  forth  a  colony  from  thence 
to  the  Western  Continent,  which  is  now 
called  America.  This  colony,  after  crossing 
the  ocean  in  eight  vessels,  and  landing  in 
that  country,  became,  in  process  of  time,  a 
great  nation— they  inhabited  America  for 
some  fifteen  hundred  years.  They  were  at 
length  destroyed  for  their  wickedness,  about 
six  hundred  years  before  Christ.  A  prophet 
by  the  name  of  Ether  wrote  their  history, 
and  an  account  of  their  destruction. 

Ether  lived  to  witness  their  entire  destruc- 
tion, and  deposited  his  record  where  it  was 
afterwards  found  by  a  colony  of  Israelites, 
who  carne  from  Jerusalem  six  hundred  years 
before  Christ,  and  re-peopled  America. 
This  last  colony  were  the  descendants  of  the 
tribe  of  Joseph;  they  grew  and  multiplied, 
and  finally  gave  rise  to  two  mighty  nations. 
One  of  these  nations  was  called  Nephites — 
one  Nephi  being  their  founder;  the  other  was 
called  Lamanites,  after  a  leader  of  the  name 
Laman. 

The  Lamanites  became  a  dark  and  benight- 
ed people,  of  whom  the  American  Indians 
are  still  a  remnant.  The  Nephites  were  an 


136  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

enlightened  and  civilized  people,  they  were 
a  people  highly  favored  of  the  Lord,  they 
had  visions,  angels,  and  the  gift  of  prophecy 
among  them  from  age  to  age;  and  finally, 
they  were  blessed  with  a  personal  appearance 
of  Jesus  Christ  after  his  resurrection,  from 
whose  mouth  they  received  the  doctrine  of 
the  Gospel,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  future 
down  through  all  succeeding  ages.  But  after 
all  the  blessings  and  privileges  conferred 
upon  them,  they  fell  into  great  wickedness  in 
the  third  and  fourth  centuries  of  the  Christian 
era,  and  finally  were  destroyed  by  the  hands 
of  the  Lamanites.  This  destruction  took 
place  about  four  hundred  years  after  Christ. 

Mormon  lived  in  that  age  of  the  world,  and 
was  a  Nephite,  and  a  Prophet  of  the  Lord. 
He,  by  the  commandment  of  the  Lord,  made 
an  abridgment  of  the  sacred  records,  which 
contained  the  history  of  his  forefathers,  and 
the  Prophecies  and  Gospel  which  had  been 
revealed  among  them;  to  which  he  added  a 
sketch  of  the  history  of  his  own  time,  and 
the  destruction  of  his  nation.  Previous  to 
his  death,  the  abridged  records  fell  into  the 
hands  of  his  son  Moroni,  who  continued 
them  down  to  A.  D.  420;  at  which  time  he 
deposited  them  carefully  in  the  earth,  on  a 
hill  which  was  then  called  Cumorah,  but  is 


THE   BOOK  OF  MORMON.  137 

situated  in  Ontario  County,  township  of 
Manchester,  and  State  of  New  York,  North 
America.  This  he  did  in  order  to  preserve 
them  from  the  Lamanites,  who  overran  the 
country,  and  sought  to  destroy  them  and  all 
the  records  pertaining  to  the  Nephites. 
This  record  lay  concealed,  or  sealed  up,  from 
A.  D.  420  to  September  22,  1827,  at  which 
time  it  was  found  by  Mr.  Joseph  Smith,  jun., 
he  being  directed  thither  by  an  angel  of  the 
Lord. 

The  following  account  of  the  discovery  and 
translation  of  this  record  is  extracted  from  a 
tract  by  Elder  Orson  Pratt,  published  at 
Edinburgh,  in  1840,  entitled,  "Remarkable 
Visions, "  etc.,  to  which  our  readers  are 
referred  for  further  particulars: — 

"  'How  far  below  the  surface  these  records 
were  placed  by  Moroni,  I  am  unable  to  say; 
but  from  the  fact  that  they  had  been  some 
fourteen  hundred  years  buried,  and  that,  too, 
on  the  side  of  a  hill  so  steep,  one  is  ready  to 
conclude  that  they  were  some  feet  below,  as 
the  earth  would  naturally  wear,  more  or  less, 
in  that  length  of  time;  but  they  being 
placed  toward  the  top  of  the  hill,  the  ground 
would  not  remove  as  much  as  at  two-thirds, 
perhaps.  Another  circumstance  would  pre- 
vent a  wearing  of  the  earth;  in  all  probabil- 


j[38  THE   BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

fty,  as  soon  as  timber  had  time  to  grow,  the 
hill  was  covered,  after  the  Nephites  were 
destroyed,  and  the  roots  of  the  same  would 
hold  the  surface:  however,  on  this  point,  I 
shall  leave  every  man  to  draw  his  own  con- 
clusion, and  form  his  own  speculation.'  But 
suffice  it  to  say,  'a  hole  of  sufficient  depth 
was  dug;  at  the  bottom  of  this  was  laid  a 
stone  of  suitable  size,  the  upper  surface 
being  smooth;  at  each  edge  was  placed  a 
large  quantity  of  cement,  and  into  this 
cement,  at  the  four  edges  of  this  stone,  were 
placed  erect  four  others;  their  bottom  edges 
resting  in  the  cement,  at  the  outer  edges  of 
the  first  stone.  The  four  last  named,  when 
placed  erect,  formed  a  box;  the  corners,  or 
where  the  edges  of  the  four  came  in  contact, 
were  also  cemented  so  firmly,  that  the  mois- 
ture from  without  was  prevented  from  enter-  . 
ing.  It  is  to  be  observed,  also,  that  the  inner 
surface  of  the  four  erect  or  side  stones  was 
smooth.  This  box  was  sufficiently  large  to 
admit  a  breastplate,  such  as  was  used  by  the 
ancients  to  defend  the  chest,  etc.,  from  the 
arrows  and  weapons  of  their  enemy.  From 
the  bottom  of  the  box,  or  from  the  breast- 
plate, arose  three  small  pillars,  composed  of 
the  same  description  of  cement  used  on  the 
edges;  and  upon  these  three  pillars  was 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  139 

placed  the  record.  *  *  *  This  box 
containing  the  record  was  covered  with 
another  stone,  the  bottom  surface  being  flat, 
and  the  upper  crowning.'  When  it  was  first 
visited  by  Mr.  Smith,  on  the  morning  of 
the  twenty-second  of  September,  1823,  *a 
part  of  the  crowning  stone  was  visible  above 
the  surface,  while  the  edges  were  concealed 
by  the  soil  and  grass.  From  which  circum- 
stance, it  may  be  seen,  that  however  deep 
this  box  might  have  been  placed  by  Moroni 
at  first,  the  time  had  been  sufficient  to  wear 
the  earth,  so  that  it  was  easily  discovered, 
when  once  directed,  and  yet  not  enough  to 
make  a  perceivable  difference  to  the  passer 
by.  *  *  *  After  arriving  at  the 
repository,  a  little  exertion  in  removing  the 
soil  from  the  edges  of  the  top  of  the  box, 
and  a  light  pry,  brought  to  his  natural  vision 
its  contents.' 

" While  viewing  and  contemplating  this 
sacred  treasure  with  wonder  and  astonish- 
ment, behold !  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  who 
had  previously  visited  him,  again  stood  in 
his  presence,  and  his  soul  was  again  en- 
lightened as  it  was  the  evening  before,  and 
he  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the 
heavens  were  opened,  and  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  shone  round  about  and  rested  upon 


140  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

him.  'While  he  thus  stood,  gazing  and  admir- 
ing, the  angel  said,  Look!'  And  as  he  thus 
spake,  he  beheld  the  Prince  of  Darkness, 
surrounded  by  his  innumerable  train  of 
associates.  All  this  passed  before  him,  and 
the  heavenly  messenger  said:  'All  this  is 
shown,  the  good  and  the  evil,  the  holy  and 
impure,  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  power  of 
darkness,  that  you  may  know  hereafter,  the 
two  powers,  and  never  be  influenced  or  over- 
come by  that  wicked  one.  Behold,  what- 
ever entices  and  leads  to  good,  and  to  do 
good,  is  of  God,  and  whatever  does  not,  is  of 
that  wicked  one.  It  is  he  that  fills  the  hearts 
of  men  with  evil  to  walk  in  darkness,  and 
blaspheme  God;  and  you  may  learn  from 
henceforth,  that  his  ways  are  to  destruction; 
but  the  way  of  holiness  is  peace  and  rest. 
You  now  see  why  you  could  not  obtain  this 
record,  that  the  commandment  was  strict, 
and  that  if  ever  these  sacred  things  are  ob- 
tained, they  must  be  by  prayer  and  faithful- 
ness in  obeying  the  Lord.  They  are  not 
deposited  here  for  the  sake  of  accumulating 
gain  and  wealth,  for  the  glory  of  this  world; 
they  were  sealed  by  the  prayer  of  faith,  and 
because  of  the  knowledge  which  they  con- 
tain, they  are  of  no  worth  among  the  children 
of  men,  only  for  their  knowledge.  On  them 


THE  BOOK  OP  MORMON.  141 

is  contained  the  fulness  of  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ,  as  it  was  given  to  His  people  on 
this  land;  and  when  it  shall  be  brought 
forth  by  the  power  of  God,  it  shall  be  carried 
to  the  Gentiles,  of  whom  many  will  receive 
it,  and  after,  will  the  seed  of  Israel  be  brought 
into  the  fold  of  their  Redeemer  by  obeying 
it  also.  Those  who  kept  the  commandments 
of  the  Lord  on  this  land,  desired  this  at  His 
hand,  and  through  the  prayer  of  faith  ob- 
tained the  promise,  that  if  their  descendants 
should  transgress  and  fall  away,  a  record 
might  be  kept,  and  in  the  last  days,  come  to 
their  children.  These  things  are  sacred,  and 
must  be  kept  so,  for  the  promise  of  the  Lord 
concerning  them  must  be  fulfilled.  No  man 
can  obtain  them  if  his  heart  is  impure, 
because  they  contain  that  which  is  sacred. 
*  *  *  By  them  will  the  Lord  work  a 
great  and  marvelous  work;  the  wisdom  of  the 
wise  shall  become  as  naught,  and  the  under- 
standing of  the  prudent  shall  be  hid,  and 
because  the  power  of  God  shall  be  displayed, 
those  who  profess  to  know  the  truth,  but 
walk  in  deceit,  shall  tremble  with  anger;  but 
with  signs  and  with  wonders,  with  gifts  and 
with  healings,  with  the  manifestations  of  the 
power  of  God,  and  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
shall  the  hearts  of  the  faithful  be  comforted. 


142  THE   BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

You  have  now  beheld  the  power  of  God 
manifested,  and  the  power  of  Satan;  you  see 
that  there  is  nothing  that  is  desirable  in  the 
works  of  darkness;  that  they  cannot  bring 
happiness;  that  those  who  are  overcome 
therewith  are  miserable;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  righteous  are  blessed  with  a  place 
in  the  kingdom  of  God,  where  joy  unspeak" 
able  surrounds  them;  there  they  rest  beyond 
the  power  of  the  enemy  of  truth,  where  no 
evil  can  disturb  them:  the  glory  of  God 
crowns  them,  and  they  continually  feast  upon 
His  goodness,  and  enjoy  His  smiles.  Behold, 
notwithstanding  you  have  seen  this  great 
display  of  power,  by  which  you  may  ever  be 
able  to'detect  the  evil  one,  yet  I  give  unto  you 
another  sign,  and  when  it  comes  to  pass,  then 
know  that  the  Lord  is  God,  and  that  He  will 
fulfil  His  purposes,  and  that  the  knowledge 
which  this  record  contains,  will  go  to  every 
nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people 
under  the  whole  heaven.  This  is  the  sign: 
when  these  things  begin  to  be  known,  that 
is,  when  it  is  known  that  the  Lord  has  shown 
you  these  things,  the  workers  of  iniquity  will 
seek  your  overthrow;  they  will  circulate 
falsehoods  to  destroy  your  reputation;  and 
also  will  seek  to  take  your  life!  but  remem- 
ber this,  if  you  are  faithful,  and  shall  here- 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  143 

after  continue  to  keep  the  commandments  of 
the  Lord,  you  shall  be  preserved  to  bring 
these  things  forth;  for  in  due  time  He  will 
again  give  you  a  commandment  to  come  and 
take  them.  When  they  are  interpreted,  the 
Lord  will  give  the  Holy  Priesthood  to  some, 
and  they  shall  begin  to  proclaim  this  Gospel 
and  baptize  by  water,  and  after  that,  they 
shall  have  power  to  give  the  Holy  Ghost  by 
the  laying  on  of  their  hands.  Then  will 
persecution  rage  more  and  more;  for  the 
iniquities  of  men  shall  be  revealed,  and  those 
who  are  not  built  upon  the  Rock  will  seek  to 
overthrow  this  Church;  but  it  will  increase 
the  more  opposed,  and  spread  farther  and 
farther,  increasing  in  knowledge,  till  ,they 
shall  be  sanctified,  and  receive  an  inher- 
itance where  the  glory  of  God  will  rest 
upon  them;  and  when  this  takes  place,  and 
all  things  are  prepared,  the  ten  tribes  of 
Israel  will  be  revealed  in  the  north  country, 
whither  they  have  been  for  a  long  season; 
and  when  this  is  fulfilled,  will  be  brought  to 
pass  that  saying  of  the  Prophet,  'And  the 
Redeemer  shall  come  to  Zion,  and  unto  them 
that  turn  from  transgression  in  Jacob,  saith 
the  Lord.'  But,  notwithstanding  the  workers 
of  iniquity  shall  seek  your  destruction,  the 
arm  of  the  Lord  will  be  extended,  and  you 


144  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

will  be  borne  off  conqueror,  if  you  keep  all 
His  commandments.  Your  name  shall  be 
known  among  the  nations,  for  the  work 
which  the  Lord  will  perform  by  your  hands 
shall  cause  the  righteous  to  rejoice  and  the 
wicked  to  rage;  with  the  one  it  shall  be  had 
in  honor,  and  with  the  other  in  reproach; 
yet,  with  these  it  shall  be  a  terror,  because  of 
the  great  and  marvelous  work  which  shall 
follow  the  coming  forth  of  this  fulness  of  the 
Gospel.  Now,  go  thy  way,  remembering 
what  the  Lord  has  done  for  thee,  and  be 
diligent  in  keeping  His  commandments,  and 
He  will  deliver  thee  from  temptations,  and 
all  the  arts  and  devices  of  the  wicked  one. 
Forget  not  to  pray,  that  thy  mind  may 
become  strong,  that  when  he  shall  manifest 
unto  thee,  thou  mayest  have  power  to  escape 
the  evil,  and  obtain  these  precious  things." 

We  here  remark,  that  the  above  quotation 
is  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  Elder 
Oliver  Cowdery,  which  was  published  in  one 
of  the  numbers  of  the  "Latter-day  Saints' 
Messenger  and  Advocate." 

Although  many  more  instructions  were 
given  by  the  mouth  of  the  angel  to  Mr. 
Smith,  which  we  do  not  write  in  this  book, 
yet  the  most  important  items  are  contained 
in  the  foregoing  relation.  During  the  period 


THE  BOOK  OP  MORMON.  145 

of  the  four  following  years,  he  frequently 
received  instruction  from  the  mouth  of  the 
heavenly  messenger,  and  on  the  morning  of 
the  twenty-second  of  September,  A.  D.  1827, 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  delivered  the  records 
into  his  hands. 

These  records  were  engraved  on  plates 
which  had  the  appearance  of  gold.  Each 
plate  was  not  far  from  seven  inches  in  width 
by  eight  inches  in  length,  being  not  quite  as 
thick  as  common  tin.  They  were  filled  on 
both  sides  with  engravings,  in  Egyptian 
characters,  and  bound  together  in  a  volume, 
as  the  leaves  of  a  book,  and  fastened  at  one 
edge  with  three  rings  running  through  the 
whole.  This  volume  was  something  near  six 
inches  in  thickness,  a  part  of  which  was 
sealed.  The  characters  of  letters  upon  the 
unsealed  part  were  small,  and  beautifully 
engraved.  The  whole  book  exhibited  many 
marks  of  antiquity  in  its  construction,  as 
well  as  much  skill  in  the  art  of  engraving. 
With  the  records  was  found  a  curious  instru- 
ment, called  by  the  ancients  the  Urim  and 
Thummim,  which  consisted  of  two  transpar- 
ent stones,  clear  as  crystal,  set  in  the  two 
rims  of  a  bow.  This  was  in  use  in  ancient 
times  by  persons  called  Seers.  It  was  an  in- 
strument by  the  use  of  which  they  received 


146  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

revelation  of  things  distant,  or  of  things 
past  or  future. 

In  the  mean  time  the  inhabitants  of  that 
vicinity,  having  been  informed  that  Mr. 
Smith  had  seen  heavenly  visions,  and  that 
he  had  discovered  sacred  records,  began  to 
ridicule  and  mock  at  those  things.  And 
after  having  obtained  those  sacred  things, 
while  proceeding  home  through  the  wilder- 
ness and  fields,  he  was  waylaid  by  two 
ruffians,  who  had  secreted  themselves  for 
the  purpose  of  robbing  him  of  the  records. 
One  of  them  struck  him  with  a  club  before 
he  perceived  them;  but  being  a  strong  man, 
and  large  in  stature,  with  great  exertion  he 
cleared  himself  from  them,  and  ran  towards 
home,  being  closely  pursued  until  he  came 
near  his  father's  house,  when  his  pursuers, 
for  fear  of  being  detected,  turned  and  fled 
the  other  way. 

Soon  the  news  of  his  discoveries  spread 
abroad  throughout  all  those  parts.  False  re- 
ports, misrepresentations,  and  base  slanders 
flew  as  if  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind  in 
every  direction.  The  house  was  frequently 
beset  by  mobs  and  evil  designing  persons. 
Several  times  he  was  shot  at,  and  very 
narrowly  escaped.  Every  device  was  used 
to  get  the  plates  away  from  him.  And  being 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  147 

continually  in  danger  of  h.'s  life,  from  a 
gang  of  abandoned  wretches,  he  at  length 
concluded  to  leave  the  place,  and  go  to 
Pennsylvania;  and  accordingly  packed  up 
his  goods,  putting  the  plates  into  a  barrel  of 
beans,  and  proceeded  upon  his  journey. 
He  had  not  gone  far,  before  he  was  overtaken 
by  an  officer  with  a  search  warrant,  who 
flattered  himself  with  the  idea  that  he  should 
surely  obtain  the  plates;  after  searching 
very  diligently,  he  was  sadly  disappointed 
at  not  rinding  them.  Mr.  Smith  then  drove 
on;  but  before  he  got  to  his  journey's  end, 
he  was  again  overtaken  by  an  officer  on  the 
same  business,  and  after  ransacking  the 
wagon  very  carefully,  he  went  his  way,  as 
much  chagrined  as  the  first  at  not  being  able 
to  discover  the  object  of  his  research.  With- 
out any  further  molestation,  he  pursued  his 
journey  until  he  came  into  the  northern  part 
of  Pennsylvania, near  the  Susquehanna  River, 
in  which  part  his  father-in-law  resided. 

Having  provided  himself  with  a  home,  ho 
commenced  translating  the  record,  by  the 
gift  and  power  of  God,  through  the  means  of 
the  Urim  and  Thummim;  and  being  a  poor 
writer,  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  employ- 
ing a  scribe,  to  write  the  translation  as  ifc 
fame  from  his  mouth. 


148  THE  BOOK   OF  MORMON. 

In  the  meantime,  a  few  of  the  original 
characters  were  accurately  transcribed  and 
translated  by  Mr,  Smith,  which,  with  the 
translation,  were  taken  by  a  gentleman 
named  Martin  Harris  to  the  city  of  New  York? 
where  they  were  presented  to  a  learned  gentle- 
man named  Anthon,  who  professed  to  be  ex- 
tensively acquainted  with  many  languages, 
both  ancient  and  modern.  He  examined 
them,  but  was  unable  to  decipher  them 
correctly;  but  he  presumed,  that  if  the 
original  records  could  be  brought,  he  could 
assist  in  translating  them. 

But  to  return.  Mr.  Smith  continued  the 
work  of  translation,  as  his  pecuniary  cir- 
cumstances would  permit,  until  he  had 
finished  the  unsealed  part  of  the  records. 
The  part  translated  is  entitled  the  "Book  of 
Mormon,"  which  contains  nearly  as  much 
reading  as  the  Old  Testament. 

"Well,"  says  the  objector,  "if  it  were  not 
for  the  marvellous,  the  book  would  be  con- 
sidered one  of  the  greatest  discoveries  the 
world  ever  witnessed.  If  you  had  been 
ploughing,  or  digging  a  well  or  cellar  and 
accidentally  dug  up  a  record  containing  some 
account  of  the  ancient  history  of  the  Ameri- 
can continent,  and  of  its  original  inhabitants, 
together  with  the  origin  of  the  Indian  tribes 


THE  BOOK  OP  MOKMON.  149 

who  now  inhabit  it;  had  this  record  had 
nothing  to  do  with  God,  or  angels,  or  inspira- 
tion, it  would  have  been  hailed  by  all  the 
learned  of  America  and  Europe,  as  one  of 
the  greatest  and  most  important  discoveries 
of  modern  times,  unfolding  a  mystery  which 
had,  until  then,  bid  defiance  to  all  the  re- 
searches of  the  learned  world.  Every  news- 
paper would  have  been  filled  with  the  glad 
tidings,  while  its  contents  would  have  poured 
upon  the  world  a  flood  of  light,  on  subjects 
before  concealed  in  the  labyrinth  of  un- 
certainty and  doubt.  But  who  can  stoop, 
and  so  humble  himself  as  to  receive  any- 
thing, in  this  enlightened  age,  renowned  for 
its  religion  and  learning,  from  the  minister- 
ing of  angels,  and  from  inspiration?  This  is 
too  much :  away  with  such  things,  it  comes 
in  contact  with  the  wisdom  and  popularity 
of  the  day."  To  this  I  reply,  The  Lord 
knew  that  before  He  revealed  it;  this  was  one 
principal  object  He  had  in  view;  it  is  just 
the  manner  of  His  dealing  with  the  children 
of  men;  He  always  takes  a  different  course 
from,  the  one  marked  out  for  Him  by  the 
wisdom  of  the  world,  in  order  to  "confound 
the  wise,  and  bring  to  naught  the  under- 
standing of  the  prudent;"  He  chooses  men 
of  low  degree,  even  the  simple  and  the  un- 


150  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

learned,  and  those  who  are  despised,  to  do 
His  work  and  to  bring  about  His  purposes, 
that  no  flesh  shall  glory  in  His  presence. 
O  ye  wise,  and  ye  learned,  who  despise  the 
wisdom  that  comes  from  above!  Know  ye 
not,  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  world  by 
wisdom  to  find  out  God?  Know  ye  not  that 
all  your  wisdom  is  foolishness  with  God? 
Know  ye  not  that  ye  must  become  as  a  little 
child,  and  be  willing  to  learn  wisdom,  from 
the  least  of  His  servants,  or  you  will  perish 
in  your  ignorance? 

But  what  are  the  evidences  which  we 
gather  from  Scripture,  concerning  the  com- 
ing forth  of  this  glorious  work?  We  shall 
attempt  to  prove:  first,  that  America  is  a  land 
promised  to  the  seed  of  Joseph;  second,  that 
the  Lord  would  reveal  to  them  His  truth  as 
well  as  to  the  Jews';  and  third,  that  their 
record  should  come  forth,  and  unite  its  testi- 
mony, with  the  record  of  the  Jews,  in  time 
for  the  restoration  of  Israel,  in  the  last  days. 

First,  Genesis,  xlviii,  Jacob,  while  blessing 
the  two  sons  of  Joseph,  says:  "Let  them 
grow  into  a  multitude  in  the  midst  of  the 
earth."  In  the  same  blessing,  it  is  said  of 
Ephraim,  "His  seed  shall  become  a  multi- 
tude of  nations."  Now  put  the  sense  of  these 
sayings  together,  and  it  makes  Ephraim  a 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  151 

multitude  of  nations  in  the  midst  of  the 
earth.  In  Genesis,  xlix,  it  is  prophesied 
concerning  Jeseph,  while  Jacob  was  blessing 
him,  that  he  should  be  "a  fruitful  bough  by 
a  well,  whose  branches  run  over  the  wall: 
the  archers  have  sorely  grieved  him,  and 
shot  at  him,  and  hated  him,  but  his  bow 
abode  in  strength."  Again,  he  further  says: 
"The  blessings  of  thy  father  have  prevailed 
above  the  blessings  of  my  progenitors,  unto 
the  utmost  bound  of  the  everlasting  hills; 
they  shall  be  on  the  head  of  Joseph,  and  on 
the  crown  of  the  head  of  him  that  was  sep- 
arate from  his  brethren."  Now  I  ask,  Who 
were  Jacob's  progenitors,  and  what  was  the 
blessing  conferred  upon  him?  Abraham 
and  Isaac  were  his  progenitors,  and  the  land 
of  Canaan  was  the  blessing  they  conferred 
upon  him,  or  that  God  promised  them  he 
should  possess.  Recollect  that  Jacob  con- 
fers on  Joseph  a  much  greater  land  than 
that  of  Canaan;  even  greater  than  his  fathers 
had  conferred  upon  him,  for  Joseph's  bles- 
sing was  to  extend  to  the  uttermost  bound  of 
the  everlasting  hills.  Now,  reader,  stand  in 
Egypt,  where  Jacob  then  stood,  and  measure 
to  the  utmost  bound  of  the  everlasting  hills, 
and  you  will  land  somewhere  in  the  central 
part  of  America.  Again,  one  of  the  Prophets 


152  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

says,  in  speaking  of  Ephraim:  "When  the 
Lord  shall  roar,  the  children  of  Ephraim 
shall  tremble  from  the  west."  Now  let  us 
sum  up  these  sayings,  and  what  have  we 
gained?  First,  that  Ephraim  was  to  grow 
into  a  multitude  of  nations  in  the  midst  of 
the  earth;  second,  Joseph  was  to  be  greatly 
blessed  in  a  large  inheritance,  as  far  off  as 
America;  third,  this  was  to  be  on  the  west 
of  Egypt  or  Jerusalem. 

Now  let  the  world  search  from  pole  to  pole, 
and  they  will  not  find  a  multitude  of  nations 
in  the  midst  of  the  earth,  who  can  possibly 
have  sprung  from  Ephraim,  unless  they  find 
them  in  America;  for  the  midst  of  all  other 
parts  of  the  earth  is  inhabited  by  mixed 
races,  who  have  sprung  from  various  sources; 
while  here  an  almost  boundless  country  was 
secluded  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  in- 
habited by  a  race  of  men,  evidently  of  the 
same  origin,  although  as  evidently  divided 
into  many  nations.  Now,  the  Scriptures 
cannot  be  broken;  therefore,  these  Scriptures 
must  apply  to  America,  for  the  plainest  of 
reasons:  they  can  apply  to  no  other  place. 

Now,  secondly,  we  are  to  prove  that  God 
revealed  himself  to  the  seed  of  Joseph  or 
Ephraim — their  location  we  have  already 
proved — dwelling  in  America.  For  this,  we 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  153 

quote  Hosea,  viii,  12;  speaking  of  Ephraim, 
he  says  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy:  "I  have 
written  to  him  the  great  things  of  my  law, 
but  they  were  counted  as  a  strange  thing." 
This  is  proof  positive  and  needs  no  com- 
ment, that  the  great  truths  of  Heaven  were 
revealed  unto  Ephraim,  and  were  counted  as 
a  strange  thing. 

Third:  Were  these  writings  to  come  forth 
just  previously  to  the  gathering  of  Israel? 
Answer:  They  were,  according  to  Ezekiel, 
thirty-seventh  chapter,  where  God  com- 
manded him  to  "Take  one  stick,  and  write 
upon  it  For  Judah,  and  the  children  of  Israel 
his  companions;  then  take  another  stick,  and 
write  upon  it  For  Joseph,  the  stick  of 
Ephraim,  and  for  all  the  house  of  Israel  his 
companions;  and  join  them  one  to  another, 
into  one  stick,  and  they  shall  become  one  in 
thine  hand.  And  when  the  children  of  thy 
people  shall  speak  unto  thee,  saying,  Wilt 
not  thou  show  us  what  thou  meanest  by 
these?  say  unto  them,  Thus  saith  the  Lord 
God,  Behold,  I  will  take  the  stick  of  Joseph, 
which  is  in  the  hand  of  Ephraim,  and  the 
tribes  of  Israel  his  fellows,  and  will  put 
them  with  him,  even  with  the  stick  of 
Judah,  and  make  them  one  stick,  and  they 
shall  be  one  in  mine  hand;  and  the  sticks 


154  THE  BOOK  OP  MORMON. 

whereon  thou  writest  shall  be  in  thine  hand 
before  their  eyes.  And  say  unto  them,  Thus 
saith  the  Lord  God,  Behold,  I  will  take  the 
children  of  Israel  from  among  the  heathen, 
whither  they  be  gone,  and  will  gather  them 
on  every  side,  and  bring  them  into  their  own 
land;  and  I  will  make  them  one  nation  in 
the  land  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel;  and 
one  king  shall  be  king  to  them  all:  and  they 
shall  be  no  more  two  nations,  neither  shall 
they  be  divided  into  two  kingdoms  any  more 
at  all." 

Now,  nothing  can  be  more  plain  than  the 
above  prophecy;  there  are  presented  two 
writings,  the  one  to  Ephraim,  the  other  to 
Judah;  that  of  Ephraim  is  to  be  brought 
forth  by  the  Lord,  and  put  with  that  of 
Judah,  and  they  are  to  become  one  in  their 
testimony,  and  grow  together  in  this  manner, 
in  order  to  bring  about  the  gathering  of 
Israel.  The  eighty-fifth  Psalm  is  very  plain 
on  the  subject:  speaking  of  the  restoration 
of  Israel  to  their  own  land,  it  says,  "Mercy 
and  Truth  are  met  together;  Righteousness 
and  peace  have  kissed  each  other.  Truth 
shall  spring  out  of  the  earth:  and  Righteous- 
ness shall  look  down  from  heaven.  Yea,  the 
Lord  shall  give  that  which  is  good;  and  our 
land  shall  yield  her  increase.  Righteousness 


THE   BOOK  OF  MORMON.  155 

shall  go  before  Him,  and  shall  set  us  in  the 
way  of  His  steps."  Now  the  Savior,  while 
praying  for  His  disciples,  said:  "Sanctify 
them  through  Thy  truth— Thy  word  is  truth." 
From  these  passages  we  learn,  that  His  word 
is  to  spring  out  of  the  earth,  while  Righteous- 
ness looks  down  from  heaven.  And  the 
next  thing  that  follows  is,  that  Israel  are  set 
in  the  way  of  His  steps,  and  partaking  of  the 
fruit  of  their  own  land.  Jeremiah,  xxxiii,  6, 
speaking  of  the  final  return  from  captivity 
of  both  Judah  and  Israel,  says:  "I  will  reveal 
unto  them  the  abundance  of  peace  and 
truth."  And  Isaiah,  speaking  of  the  ever- 
lasting covenant,  which  should  gather  them, 
makes  this  extraordinary  and  very  remarka- 
ble expression:  "Their  seed  shall  be  known 
amongst  the  Gentiles,  and  their  offspring 
among  the  people."  Now,  reader,  let  me 
ask,  can  any  one  tell  whether  the  Indians  of 
America  are  of  Israel,  unless  by  revelation 
from  God?  Therefore  this  was  a  hidden 
mystery,  which  it  was  necessary  to  reveal  in 
time  for  their  gathering. 

So  much,  then,  we  have  produced  from  the 
Scriptures,  in  proof  of  a  work,  like  the  book 
of  Mormon,  making  its  appearance  in  these 
days  ;  to  say  nothing  of  Isaiah,  xxix.  But 
says  one,  "What  is  the  use  of  the  Book  of 


156  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

Mormon,  even  if  it  be  true?"  I  answer : 
First,  it  brings  to  light  an  important  history, 
bofore  unknown  to  man.  Second,  it  reveals 
the  origin  of  the  American  Indians,  which 
was  before  a  mystery.  Third,  it  contains 
important  prophecies,  yet  to  be  fulfilled, 
which  immediately  concern  the  present  gen- 
eration. Fourth,  it  contains  much  plainness 
in  regard  to  points  of  doctrine,  insomuch 
that  all  may  understand,  and  see  eye  to  eye, 
if  they  take  pains  to  read  it. 

"  But  what  are  its  proofs,  as  to  chosen  wit- 
nesses who  testify  to  its  translation  by  in- 
spiration?" For  this  testimony,  I  refer  the 
reader  to  the  testimony  of  the  witnesses  in 
the  first  page  of  the  Book  of  Mormon ;  he 
will  there  find  as  positive  testimony  as  has 
ever  been  found  in  the  other  Scriptures  con- 
cerning any  truth  which  God  ever  revealed. 
Men  there  testify,  not  only  that  they  have 
seen  and  handled  the  plates,  but  that  an  an- 
gel of  God  came  down  from  heaven,  and  pre- 
sented the  plates  before  them,  while  the  glory 
of  God  shone  round  'about  them,  and  the 
voice  of  God  spoke  from  heaven,  and  told 
them  that  these  things  were  true,  and  had 
been  translated  by  the  gift  and  power  of  God, 
and  commanded  them  to  bear  record  of  the 
same  to  all  people. 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  157 

Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  our  fathers! 
He  has  visited  His  people,  and  the  dayspring 
from  on  high  has  dawned  upon  our  benighted 
world  once  more ;  for  no  sooner  had  the 
Book  been  translated,  and  men  begun  to 
bear  record  of  the  same,  than  the  Angel  of 
the  Lord  came  down  from  heaven  again,  and 
commissioned  men  to  preach  the  Gospel  to 
every  creature,  and  to  baptize  with  water  for 
the  remission  of  sins.  No  sooner  did  the 
people  begin  to  believe  their  testimony,  and 
be  baptized,  than  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  upon 
them,  through  the  laying  on  of  hands  in  the 
name  of  Jesus ;  and  the  heavens  were  opened: 
and  while  some  had  the  ministering  of 
angels,  others  began  to  speak  in  other 
tongues,  and  prophesy.  From  that  time 
forth,  many  of  them  were  healed  by  the  lay- 
ing on  of  hands  in  the  name  of  Jesus ;  and 
thus  mightily  grew  the  word  of  God,  and 
prevailed.  And  thus,  thousands  have  been 
raised  up  to  testify  that  they  do  know  for 
themselves,  and  are  not  dependent  on  the 
testimony  of  any  man,  for  the  truth  of  these 
things,  for  these  signs  follow  them  that  be- 
lieve. And  when  a  man  believes  the  truth, 
through  the  testimony  of  God's  witnesses, 
and  then  these  signs  follow,  not  only  them, 
but  him  also  ;  if  he  has  the  ministering  of  ac.- 


158  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

gels,  if  he  has  been  healed,  or  heals  others,by 
the  laying  on  of' hands  in  the  name  of  Jesus, 
or  if  he  speaks  in  other  tongues,  or  prophe- 
sies, he  knows  it  for  himself ;  and  thus  is 
fulfilled  the  saying  of  Scripture,  "If  any  man 
do  my  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine, 
whether  it  be  of  God."  Thus  faith  comes 
by  hearing,  and  knowledge  by  obeying  ;  but 
hearing  comes  by  preaching,  and  preaching 
comes  by  sending;  as  it  is  written— " How 
shall  they  preach,  except  they  be  sent  ?" 

But  there  are  many  who  say— "  Show  us 
a  sign,  and  we  will  believe."  Remember, 
faith  comes  not  by  signs,  but  signs  come  by 
faith.  Gifts  were  not  given  to  make  men 
believe  ;  but  what  saith  the  Scripture?  "Gifts 
are  for  the  edifying  of  the  Church."  If 
otherwise,  why  was  it  not  written — "  Faith 
comes  by  miracles,"  instead  of  "  Faith  comes 
by  hearing?"  I  always  take  it  for  granted,  that 
a  man  or  woman  who  comes  demanding  a 
sign  in  order  to  make  them  believe,  belongs 
to  a  wicked  and  adulterous  generation,  at 
least,  to  say  no  worse  ;  for  any  person  who 
will  go  to  Jesus,  with  a  pure  heart,  desiring 
and  praying  in  faith,  that  he  may  know  the 
truth  concerning  these  things,  the  Lord  will 
reveal  it  to  him,  and  he  shall  know,  and  shall 
bear  testimony,  for  by  the  Spirit  of  God  they 


THE  BOOK   OF  MORMON.  159 

shall  know  truth  from  error :  as  it  is  written 
— "My  sheep  hear  my  voice."  And  he  that 
will  not  come  unto  Jesus  by  faith,  shall  never 
know  the  truth,  until,  too  late,  he  finds  the 
harvest  is  over,  and  the  summer  is  ended, 
and  his  soul  not  saved. 

Thus  the  religion  of  Jesus,  unlike  all  other 
religious  systems,  bears  its  own  weight,  and 
brings  certainty  and  knowledge,  leaving  no 
room  for  imposition.  And  now  I  say  unto 
all  people,  Come  unto  the  Father  in  the  name 
of  Jesus;  doubt  not,  but  be  believing,  as 
in  days  of  old,  and  ask  in  faith  for  what- 
soever you  stand  in  need  of ;  ask  not  that 
you  may  consume  it  on  your  lusts,  but  ask 
with  a  firmness  not  to  be  shaken,  that  you 
will  yield  to  no  temptation,  but  that  you  will 
keep  His  commandments, as  fast  as  He  makes 
them  manifest  unto  you  ;  and  if  ye  do  this, 
and  He  reveals  to  you  that  He  has  sent  us 
with  a  new  and  everlasting  covenant,  and 
commanded  us  to  preach,  and  baptize,  and 
'  build  up  His  Church  as  in  days  of  old,  then 
come  forward  and  obey  the  truth  ;  but  if  you 
do  not  know,  or  are  not  satisfied  that  He  has 
sent  us,  then  do  not  embrace  the  doctrine  we 
preach.  Thus  to  your  own  master  you  shall 
stand  or  fall ;  and  one  day  you  shall  know, 
yea,  in  that  great  day,  when  every  knee  shall 


160  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

bow,  then  shall  you  know  that  God  has  sent 
us  with  the  truth,  to  prune  His  vineyard  for 
the  last  time,  with  a  mighty  pruning. 

We  shall  now  introduce  much  circumstan- 
tial evidence,  from  American  antiquities,  and 
from  the  traditions  of  the  natives,  etc. 

First,  says  Mr.  Boudinot:  "It  is  said 
among  their  principal  or  beloved  men,  that 
they  have  it  handed  down  from  their  ances- 
tors, that  the  book  which  the  white  people 
have,  was  once  theirs:  that  while  they  had 
it  they  prospered  exceedingly,  etc.  They 
also  say,  that  their  fathers  were  possessed  of 
an  extraordinary  Divine  Spirit,  by  which 
they  foretold  future  events,  and  controlled 
the  common  course  of  nature;  and  this  they 
transmitted  to  their  offspring,  on  condition 
of  their  obeying  the  sacred  laws;  that  they 
did,  by  these  means,  bring  down  showers  of 
blessings  upon  their  beloved  people;  but 
that  this  power,  for  a  long  time  past,  had  en- 
tirely ceased."  Colonel  James  Smith,  in  his 
journal,  while  a  prisoner  among  the  natives, 
says:  "They  have  a  tradition,  that  in  the  be- 
ginning of  this  continent,  the  angels  or 
heavenly  inhabitants,  as  they  call  them,  fre- 
quently visited  the  people,  and  talked  with 
their  forefathers,  and  gave  directions  how  to 
pray." 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  101 

Mr.  Boudinot,  in  his  able  work,  remarks 
concerning  their  language:   "Their  language, 
in  its  roots,  idiom,  and  particular  construc- 
tion, appears  to  have  the  whole  genius  of  the 
Hebrew;  and  what  is  very  remarkable,  and 
well  worthy  of  serious  attention,  has  most  of 
the  peculiarities  of  that  language."      There 
is  a  tradition  related  by  an  aged  Indian,  of 
the  Stockbridge  tribe,  that  their  fathers  were 
once    in    possession    of    a    "Sacred  Book," 
which  was  handed  down  from  generation  to 
generation;  and  at  last  hid  in  the  earth,  since 
which  time  they  had  been  under  the  feet  of 
their  enemies.    But  these  oracles  were  to  be 
restored  to  them  again;  and  then  they  would 
triumph  over  their  enemies,  and  regain  their 
rights  and  privileges.      Mr.  Boudinot,  after 
recording    many    traditions  similiar  to  the 
above,  at  length  remarks:   "Can  any  man 
read  this  short  account  of  Indian  traditions, 
drawn  from  tribes  of  various  nations;  from 
the  west  to  the  east,  and  fsom  the  south  to 
the  north,  wholly  separated  from  each  other, 
written  by  different  authors  of  the  best  char- 
acter, both  for  knowledge  and  integrity,  pos- 
sessing  the    best  means  of  information,  at 
various  and  distant  times,  without  any  possi- 
ble communication  with  each  other;  and  yet 
suppose  that  all  this  is  the  effect  of  chance, 


162  THE   BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

accident,  or  design,  from  a  love  of  the  mar- 
velous, or  a  premeditated  intention  of  de- 
ceiving, and  thereby  ruining  their  well  es- 
tablished reputation?  Can  any  one  carefully, 
and  with  deep  reflection,  consider  and  com- 
pare these  traditions  and  nations  with  the 
position  and  circumstances  of  the  long  lost 
ten  tribes  of  Israel,  without  at  least  draw- 
ing some  presumptive  inferences  in  favor  of 
these  wandering  natives  being  descended 
from  the  ten  tribes  of  Israel?" 

"Joseph  Merrick,  Esq.,  a  highly  respectable 
character  in  Pitsfield,  Mass.,  gave  the  fol- 
lowing account:  That  in  1815,  he  was  level- 
ing some  ground  under  and  near  an  old 
wood-shed  standing  on  a  place  of  his, 
situated  on  Indian  Hill.  He  ploughed  and 
conveyed  away  old  chips  and  earth  to  some 
depth.  After  the  work  was  done,  walking 
over  the  place,  he  discovered,  near  where 
the  earth  had  been  dug  the  deepest,  a  black 
strap,  as  it  appeared,  about  six  inches  in 
length,  and  one  and  a  half  in  breadth, 
and  about  the  thickness  of  a  leather  trace 
to  a  harness.  He  perceived  it  had,  at  each 
end,  a  loop  of  some  hard  substance,  probably 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  it.  He  con- 
veyed it  to  his  house,  and  threw  it  into  an 
old  tool  box.  He  afterwards  found  it  thrown 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  163 

out  at  the  door,  and  again  conveyed  it  to  the 
box. 

" After  some  time,  he  thought  he  would 
examine  it;  but  in  attempting  to  cut  it,  found 
it  as  hard  as  bone;  he  succeeded,  however,  in 
getting  it  open,  and  found  it  was  formed  of 
two  pieces  of  thick  rawhide,  sewed  and 
made  water-tight  with  the  sinews  of  some 
animal,  and  gummed  over;  and  in  the  fold 
was  contained  four  folded  pieces  of  parch- 
ment. They  were  of  a  dark  yellow  hue,  and 
contained  some  kind  of  writing.  The  neigh- 
bors coming  in  to  see  the  strange  discovery, 
tore  one  of  the  pieces  to  atoms,  in  the  true 
Hun  and  Vandal  style.  The  other  three 
pieces  Mr.  Merrick  saved,  and  sent  them  to 
Cambridge,  where  they  were  examined,  and 
discovered  to  have  been  written  with  a  pen, 
in  Hebrew,  plain  and  legible.  The  writing 
on  the  three  remaining  pieces  of  parchment, 
was  quotations  from  the  Old  Testament. 
See  Deut.,  vi,  from  4—9;  also  xi,  13—21;  and 
Exodus,  xiii,  11—16,  to  which  the  reader  can 
refer,  if  he  has  the  curiosity  to  read  this  most 
interesting  discovery. 

"  On  the  banks  of  White  River,  in  Arkan- 
sas Territory,  have  been  found  ruins  erected 
no  doubt  by  an  enlightened  population,  of 
the  most  extraordinary  character,  on  account 


164  THE  BOOK  OP  MORMON. 

of  their  dimensions,  and  the  materials  of 
which  they  were  erected.  One  of  these  works 
is  a  wall  of  earth,  which  encloses  an  area  of 
six  hundred  and  forty  acres,  equal  to  a  mile 
square,  and  having,  in  its  centre,  the  founda- 
tion of  a  large  circular  building,  or  temple. 
Another,  yet  more  strange,  and  more  exten- 
sive, consists  of  the  foundations  of  a  great 
city,  whose  streets,  crossing  each  other  at 
right  angles,  are  easily  traced  through  the 
mighty  forest.  And  besides  these  are  found 
the  foundations  of  houses,  made  of  burnt 
bricks,  like  the  bricks  of  the  present  time. 
These  have  been  traced  to  the  extent  of  a 
mile." 

The  foregoing  is  taken  from  Priest's  Amer- 
ican Antiquities,  and  from  the  same  work 
we  extract  the  following,  page  246  : 

"Ruins  of  the  City  of  Otolum,  discovered 
in  North  America. — In  a  letter  of  C.  S.  Rafin- 
esque,  whom  we  have  before  quoted,  to  a 
correspondent  in  Europe,  we  find  the  follow- 
ing :  *  Some  years  ago,  the  Society  of  Geog- 
raphy, in  Paris,  offered  a  large  premium  for 
a  voyage  to  Guatemala,  and  for  a  new  sur- 
vey of  the  antiquities  of  Yucatan  and  Chi- 
apa,  chiefly  those  fifteen  miles  from  Pal- 
enque.' " 

"I  have,"  says  this  author,  "restored  to 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  165 

them  the  true  name  of  Otolum,  which  is  yet 
the  name  of  the  stream  running  through  the 
ruins.  They  were  surveyed  by  Captain  Del 
Rio,  in  1787,  an  account  of  which  was  pub- 
lished in  English,  in  1822.  This  account  de- 
scribes partly  the  ruins  of  a  stone  city,  of  no 
less  dimensions  than  seventy-rive  miles  in 
circuit;  length,  thirty-two,  and  breadth 
twelve  miles,  full  of  palaces,  monuments, 
statues,  and  inscriptions  :  one  of  the  earliest 
seats  of  American  civilization  ;  about  equal 
to  Thebes  of  ancient  Egypt." 

It  is  stated  in  the  Family  Magazine,  No. 
34,  p.  266,  for  1833,  as  follows  :  "  Public  at- 
tention has  been  recently  excited,  respecting 
the  ruins  of  an  ancient  city,  found  in  Guate- 
mala. It  would  seem  that  these  ruins  aro 
now  being  explored,  and  much  curious  j&id 
valuable  matter,  in  a  literary  and  historical 
point  of  view,  is  anticipated.  We  deem  the 
present  a  most  auspicious  moment,  now  that 
the  public  attention  is  turned  to  the  subject, 
to  spread  its  contents  before  our  readers,  as 
an  introduction  to  future  discoveries,  during 
the  researches  now  in  progress." 

The  following  are  some  of  the  particulars, 
as  related  by  Captain  Del  Rio,  who  partially 
examined  them,  as  above  related,  in  1787  : 
"From  Palenque,  the  last  town  northward 


166  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

in  the  province  of  Cindad  Real  de  Chiapa, 
taking  a  southwesterly  direction,  and  ascend- 
ing a  ridge  of  high  land,  that  divides  the 
kingdom  of  Guatemala  from  Yucatan,  at  the 
distance  of  six  miles,  is  the  little  river  Micol, 
whose  waters  flow  in  a  westerly  direction, 
and  unite  with  the  great  river  Tulijah,  which 
bends  its  course  towards  the  province  of 
Tobasco.  Having  passed  Micol,  the  ascent 
begins,  and  at  half  a  league,  or  a  mile  and  a 
half,  the  traveler  crosses  a  little  stream  called 
Otolum  ;  from  this  point  heaps  of  stone  ruins 
are  discovered,  which  render  the  roads  very 
difficult  for  another  half  league,  when  you 
gain  the  height  whereon  the  stone  houses 
are  situated,  being  still  fourteen  in  number 
in  one  place,  some  more  dilapidated  than 
others,  yet  still  having  many  of  their  apart- 
ments perfectly  discernible.  These  stand  on 
a  rectangular  area,  three  hundred  yards  in 
breadth  by  four  hundred  and  fifty  in  length, 
which  is  a  fraction  over  fifty-six  rods  wide, 
and  eighty -four  rods  long,  being  in  the  whole 
circuit,  two  hundred  and  eighty  rods,  which 
is  three  fourths  of  a  mile,  and  a  trifle  over. 
This  area  presents  a  plain  at  the  base  of  the 
highest  mountain  forming  the  ridge.  In  the 
centre  of  this  plain  is  situated  the  largest  of 
the  structures  which  has  been,  as  yet,  dis- 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  167 

covered  among  these  ruins.  It  stands  on 
a  mound,  or  pyramid,  twenty  yards  high, 
which  is  sixty  feet,  or  nearly  four  rods, 
in  perpendicular  altitude,  which  gives  it  a 
lofty  and  beautiful  majesty,  as  if  it  were  a 
temple  suspended  in  the  sky.  This  is 
surrounded  by  other  edifices,  namely,  five 
to  the  northward,  four  to  the  southward, 
one  to  the  southwest,  and  three  to  the  east- 
ward, fourteen  in  all. 

"In  all  directions,  the  fragments  of  other 
fallen  buildings  are  seen  extending  along  the 
mountain,  that  stretches  east  and  west  either 
way  from  these  buildings,  as  if  it  were  the 
great  temple  of  worship,  or  their  govern- 
ment-house, around  which  they  built  their 
city,  and  where  dwelt  their  kings  and  officers 
of  state.  At  this  place  was  found  a  subter- 
ranean stone  aqueduct,  of  great  solidity  and 
durability,  which  in  its  course  passes  beneath 
the  largest  building.'* 

Let  it  be  understood,  this  city  of  Otolum, 
the  ruins  of  which  are  so  immense,  is  in 
North,  not  South  America,  in  the  same 
latitude  with  the  island  of  Jamaica,  which  is 
about  eighteen  degrees  north  of  the  equator, 
being  on  the  highest  ground  between  the 
northern  end  of  the  Carribean  Sea  and  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  where  the  continent  narrows 


168  THE  BOOK  OF  MOKMON, 

towards  the  Isthmus  of  Darien,  and  is  aboat 
eight  hundred  miles  south  of  New  Orleans. 

The  discovery  of  these  ruins,  and  also  of 
many  others,  equally  wonderful,  in  the  same 
country,  is  just  commencing  to  arouse  the 
attention  of  the  schools  of  Europe,  which 
hitherto  have  denied  that  America  could 
boast  of  her  antiquities.  But  these  immense 
ruins  are  now  being  explored  under  the 
direction  of  scientific  persons,  a  history  of 
which,  in  detail,  will,  doubtless,  be  forth- 
coming in  due  time;  two  volumes  of  which, 
in  manuscript,  we  are  informed,  have  already 
been  written,  and  cannot  but  be  received 
with  enthusiasm  by  Americans. 

A  gentleman  who  was  living  near  the  town 
of  Cincinnati,  in  1826,  on  the  upper  level, 
had  occasion  to  sink  a  well  for  his  accomoda- 
tion;  he  persevered  in  digging  to  the  depth 
of  eighty  feet,  without  finding  water;  but 
still  persisting  in  the  attempt,  his  workmen 
found  themselves  obstructed  by  a  substance, 
which  resisted  their  labor,  though  evidently 
not  stone.  They  cleared  the  surface  and  sides 
from  the  earth  bedded  around  it,  when  there 
appeared  the  stump  of  a  tree,  three  feet  'in 
diameter,  and  two  feet  high,  which  had  been 
cut  down  with  an  ax.  The  blows  of  the  ax 
were  yet  visible.  It  was  nearly  of  the  color 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  169 

and  apparent  character  of  coal,  but  had  not 
the  friable  and  fusible  quality  of  that  sub- 
stance. Ten  feet  below,  the  water  sprang  up, 
and  the  well  is  now  in  constant  supply  and 
high  repute. 

In  Morse's  Universal  Geography,  first 
volume,  p.  142,  the  discovery  of  the  stump  is 
corroborated:  "In  digging  a  well  in  Cin- 
cinnati, the  stump  of  a  tree  was  found  in  a 
sound  state,  ninety  feet  below  the  surface; 
and  in  digging  another  well,  at  the  same 
place,  another  stump  was  found,  at  ninety  - 
four  feet  below  the  surface,  which  had 
evident  marks  of  the  ax;  and  on  its  top  there 
appeared  as  if  some  iron  tool  had  been  con- 
sumed by  rust." 

We  might  fill  a  volume  with  accounts  of 
American  antiquities,  all  going  to  show  that* 
this  country  has  been  inhabited  by  a  people 
who  possessed  a  knowledge  of  the  arts  and 
sciences,  who  built  cities,  cultivated  the 
earth,  and  who  were  in  possession  of  a 
written  language.  But  the  things  which  we 
have  here  introduced  are  abundantly  suffi- 
cient for  our  purpose.  If  a  few  characters  in 
Hebrew  have  been  found  in  the  earth  in 
America,  written  on  parchment,  then  it  is 
just  as  easy  to  admit  that  a  whole  volume 
has  been  found  in  the  earth  in  America, 


170  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

written  on  plates,  in  Egyptian  characters. 
The  astonishing  facts  of  the  stumps  found 
eighty  or  ninety  feet  under  ground  at  Cin- 
cinnati, and  similar  discoveries  in  many 
other  parts  of  North  and  South  America, 
such  as  buried  cities,  and  other  antiquities, 
all  go  to  prove  that  there  has  been  a  mighty 
convulsion  and  revolution,  not  only  of  na- 
tions, but  of  nature;  and  such  a  convulsion 
as  is  nowhere  else  so  reasonably  accounted 
for,  as  in  the  following  extraordinary  and 
wonderful  account  of  events,  which  trans- 
pired in  this  country,  during  the  crucifixion 
of  Messiah,  which  we  extract  from  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  Nephi,  v,  2—11: 

"And  it  came  to  pass,  in  the  thirty  and 
fourth  year,  in  the  first  month,  in  the  fourth 
day  of  the  month,  there  arose  a  great  storm, 
such  an  one  as  never  had  been  known  in  all 
the  land;  and  there  was  also  a  great  and 
terrible  tempest;  and  there  was  terrible 
thunder,  insomuch  that  it  did  shake  the 
whole  earth,  as  if  it  was  about  to  divide 
asunder;  and  there  were  exceeding  sharp 
lightnings,  such  as  never  had  been  known  in 
all  the  land.  And  the  city  of  Zarahemla  did 
take  fire;  and  the  city  of  Moroni  did  sink 
into  the  depths  of  the  sea,  and  the  inhabi- 
tants thereof  were  drowned;  and  the  earth 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  171 

was  carried  up  upon  the  city  of  Moronihah, 
that,  in  the  place  of  the  city  thereof,  there 
became  a  great  mountain;  and  there  was  a 
great  and  terrible  destruction  in  the  land 
southward.  But,  behold,  there  was  a  more 
great  and  terrible  destruction  in  the  land 
northward;  for,  behold,  the  whole  face  of 
the  land  was  changed,  because  of  the  tempest, 
and  the  whirlwinds,  and  the  thunderings, 
and  the  lightnings,  and  the  exceeding  great 
quaking  of  the  whole  earth;  and  the  high- 
ways were  broken  up,  and  the  level  roads 
were  spoiled,  and  many  smooth  places 
became  rough,  and  many  great  and  notable 
cities  were  sunk,  and  many  were  burned, 
and  many  were  shook  till  the  buildings 
thereof  had  fallen  to  the  earth,  and  the  in- 
habitants thereof  were  slain,  and  the  places 
were  left  desolate;  and  there  were  some  cities 
which  remained,  but  the  damage  thereof 
was  exceeding  great,  and  there  were  many 
in  them  who  were  slain,  and  there  were  some 
who  were  carried  away  in  the  whirlwind, 
and  whither  they  went,  no  man  knoweth, 
save  they  know  that  they  were  carried  away; 
and  thus  the  face  of  the  whole  earth  became 
deformed,  because  of  the  tempests,  and  the 
thunderings,  and  the  lightnings,  and  the 
quaking  of  the  earth.  And,  behold,  the 


172  THE  BOOK  OP  MORMON. 

rocks  were  rent  in  twain;  they  were  broken 
up  upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth,  inso~ 
much  that  they  were  found  in  broken 
fragments,  and  in  seams,  and  in  cracks,  upon 
all  the  face  of  the  land. 

"And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  the  thun- 
derings,  and  the  lightnings,  and  the  storm, 
and  the  tempest,  and  the  quakings  of  the 
earth  did  cease— for,  behold,  they  did  last 
for  about  the  space  of  three  hours  ;  and  it 
was  said  by  some  that  the  time  was  greater  ; 
nevertheless,  all  these  great  and  terrible 
things  were  done  in  about  the  space  of  three 
hours ;  and  then,  behold,  there  was  darkness 
upon  the  face  of  the  land. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  that  there  was  a  thick 
darkness  upon  all  the  face  of  the  land,  inso- 
much that  the  inhabitants  thereof,  who  had 
not  fallen,  could  feel  the  vapor  of  darkness  ; 
and  there  could  be  no  light  because  of  the 
darkness,  neither  candles,  neither  torches  ; 
neither  could  there  be  fire  kindled  with  their 
fine  and  exceeding  dry  wood,  so  that  there 
could  not  be  any  light  at  all ;  and  there  was 
not  any  light  seen,  neither  fire,  nor  glimmer, 
neither  the  sun,  nor  the  moon,  nor  the  stars, 
for  so  great  were  the  mists  of  darkness  which 
were  upon  the  face  of  the  land. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  it  did  last  for 


THE  BOOK  OP  MORMON.  173 

the  space  of  three  days,  that  there  was  no 
light  seen;  and  there  was  great  mourning 
and  howling,  and  weeping  among  all  tho 
people  continually;  yea,  great  were  the 
groanings  of  the  people,  because  of  the  dark- 
ness and  great  destruction  which  had  come 
upon  them.  And  in  one  place  they  were 
heard  to  cry,  saying,  O  that  we  had  repented 
before  this  great  and  terrible  day,  and  then 
would  our  brethren  have  been  spared,  and 
they  would  not  have  been  burned  in  that 
great  city  of  Zarahemla !  And  in  another 
place  they  were  heard  to  cry  and  mourn, 
saying,  O  that  we  had  repented  before  this 
great  and  terrible  day,  and  had  not  killed  and 
stoned  the  prophets  and  cast  them  out ;  then 
would  our  mothers,  and  our  fair  daughters, 
and  our  children  have  been  spared,  and  not 
have  been  buried  up  in  that  great  city  Moro- 
nihah ;  and  thus  were  the  howlings  of  tho 
people  great  and  terrible. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  there  was  a 
voice  heard  among  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  upon  the  face  of  this  land,  crying,  Wo, 
wo,  wo  unto  this  people  ;  wo  unto  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  whole  earth,  except  they  shall 
repent,  for  the  devil  laugheth,  and  his  angels 
rejoice,  because  of  the  slain  of  the  fair  sons 
and  daughters  of  my  people ;  and  it  is  be- 


174  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

cause  of  their  iniquity  and  abominations  that 
they  are  fallen.  Behold,  that  great  city  of 
Zarahemla  have  I  burned  with  fire,  and  the 
inhabitants  thereof.  And  behold,  that  great 
city  Moroni  have  I  caused  to  be  sunk  in  the 
depth  of  the  sea,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof 
to  be  drowned.  And  behold,  that  great  city 
Moronihah  have  I  covered  with  earth,  and 
the  inhabitants  thereof,  to  hide  their  iniqui- 
ties and  their  abominations  from  before  my 
face,  that  the  blood  of  the  prophets  and  the 
saints  shall  not  come  any  more  unto  me 
against  them.  And  behold  the  city  of  Gilgal 
have  I  caused  to  be  sunk,  and  the  inhabit- 
ants thereof  to  be  buried  up  in  the  depths  of 
the  earth :  yea,  and  the  city  of  Onihah  and 
the  inhabitants  thereof,  and  the  city  of  Mo- 
cum  and  the  inhabitants  thereof,  and  the  city 
of  Jerusalem  and  the  inhabitants  thereof, 
and  waters  have  I  caused  to  come  up  in  the 
stead  thereof,  to  hide  their  wickedness  and 
abominations  from  before  my  face,  that  the 
blood  of  the  prophets  and  the  saints  shall 
not  come  up  any  more  unto  me  against  them. 
And  behold  the  city  of  Gadiandi,  and  the  city 
of  Gadiomnah,  and  the  city  of  Jacob,  and 
the  city  of  Gimgimno,  all  these  have  I  caused 
to  be  sunk,  and  made  hills  and  valleys  in 
the  places  thereof ;  and  the  inhabitants  there- 


THE  BOOK  OP  MORMON.  175 

of  have  I  buried  up  in  the  depths  of  the  earth, 
to  hide  their  wickedness  and  abominations 
from  before  my  face,  that  the  blood  of  the 
prophets  and  saints  should  not  come  up  any 
more  unto  me  against  them.  And  behold 
that  great  city  of  Jacobugath,  which  was  in- 
habited by  the  people  of  the  king  of  Jacob, 
have  I  caused  to  be  burned  with  fire,  because 
of  their  sins  and  their  wickedness,  which  was 
above  all  the  wickedness  of  the  whole  earth, 
because  of  their  secret  murders  and  combi- 
nations ;  for  it  was  they  that  did  destroy  the 
peace  of  my  people  and  the  government  of 
the  land :  therefore  I  did  cause  them  to  be 
burned,  to  destroy  them  from  before  my  face, 
that  the  blood  of  the  prophets  and  the  saints 
should  not  come  up  unto  me  any  more 
against  them.  And  behold,  the  city  of  La- 
man,  and  the  city  of  Josh,  and  the  city  of 
Gad,  and  the  city  of  Kishkumen,  have  I 
caused  to  be  burned  with  fire,  and  the  inhab- 
itants thereof,  because  of  their  wickedness 
in  casting  out  the  prophets,  and  stoning  those 
whom  I  did  send  to  declare  unto  them  con- 
cerning their  wickedness  and  their  abomina- 
tions ;  and  because  they  did  cast  them  all 
out,  that  there  were  none  righteous  among 
them,  I  did  send  down  fire  and  destroy  them, 
that  their  wickedness  and  abominations 


176  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

might  be  hid  from  before  my  face,  that  the 
blood  of  the  prophets  and  the  saints  whom  I 
sent  among  them  might  not  cry  unto  me 
from  the  ground  against  them ;  and  many 
great  destructions  have  I  caused  to  come  up- 
on this  land  and  upon  this  people,  because 
of  their  wickedness  and  their  abominations. 
"O,  all  ye  that  are  spared,  because  ye  were 
more  righteous  than  they,  will  ye  not  now 
return  unto  me,  and  repent  of  your  sins,  and 
be  converted,  that  I  may  heal  you?  Yea, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  if  ye  will  come  unto 
me,  ye  shall  have  eternal  life.  Behold,  mine 
arm  of  mercy  is  extended  towards  you,  and 
whomsoever  will  come,  him  will  I  receive; 
and  blessed  are  those  who  come  unto  me. 
Behold,  I  am  Jesus  Christ,  the  son  of  God. 
I  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  all 
things  that  in  them  are.  I  was  with  the 
Father  from  the  beginning.  I  am  in  the 
Father,  and  the  Father  in  me;  and  in  me 
hath  the  Father  glorifi-ed  his  name.  I  came 
unto  my  own,  and  my  own  received  me  not. 
And  the  Scriptures  concerning  my  coming 
are  fulfilled.  And  as  many  as  have  received 
me,  to  them  have  I  given  to  become  the  sons 
of  God;  and  even  so  will  I  to  as  many  as 
shall  believe  on  my  name;  for,  behold,  by 
me  redemption  cometh,  and  in  ine  is  the  law 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  177 

of  Moses  fulfilled.  I  am  the  light  and  life  of 
the  world.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  be- 
ginning arid  the  end.  And  ye  shall  offer  up 
unto  me  no  more  the  shedding  of  blood:  yea, 
your  sacrifices  and  your  burnt  offerings  shall 
be  done  away,  for  I  will  accept  none  of  your 
sacrifices  and  your  burnt  offerings;  and  ye 
shall  offer,  for  a  sacrifice  unto  me,  a  broken 
heart  and  a  contrite  spirit.  And  whoso  com- 
eth  unto  me  with  a  broken  heart  and  a  con- 
trite spirit,  him  will  I  baptize  with  fire  and 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  even  as  the  Lamanites, 
because  of  their  faith  in  me,  at  the  time  of 
their  conversion,  were  baptized  with  fire  and 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  they  knew  it  not. 
Behold,  I  have  come  unto  the  world  to  bring 
redemption  unto  the  world,  to  save  the  world 
from  sin:  therefore,  whoso  repenteth  and 
cometh  unto  me  as  a  little  child,  him  will  I 
receive;  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Behold,  for  such  I  have  laid  down  my  life, 
and  have  taken  it  up  again:  therefore,  repent 
and  come  unto  me,  ye  ends  of  the  earth,  and 
be  saved. 

"And  now,  behold  it  came  to  pass,  that  all 
the  people  of  the  land  did  hear  these  sayings; 
and  did  witness  of  it.  And  after  these  say- 
ings, there  was  silence  in  the  land  for  the 

space  of  many  hours:  for  so  great  was  the 
12 


178  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

astonishment  of  the  people  that  they  did 
cease  lamenting  and  howling  for  the  loss 
of  their  kindred  which  had  been  slain;  there- 
fore there  was  silence  in  all  the  land  for  the 
space  of  many  hours. 

4 'And  it  came  to  pass,  that  there  came  a 
voice  again  unto  the  people,  and  all  the 
people  did  hear,  and  did  witness  of  it,  say- 
ing, O  ye  people  of  these  great  cities  which 
have  fallen,  who  are  descendants  of  Jacob; 
yea,  who  are  of  the  house  of  Israel,  how  oft 
have  I  gathered  you  as  a  hen  gathereth  her 
chickens  under  her  wings,  and  have  nour- 
ished you.  And  again,  how  oft  would  I 
have  gathered  you,  as  a  hen  gathereth  her 
chickens  under  her  wings;  yea,  O  ye  people 
of  the  house  of  Israel,  who  have  fallen;  yea, 
O  ye  people  of  the  house  of  Israel;  ye  that 
dwell  at  Jerusalem,  as  ye  that  have  fallen; 
yea,  how  oft  would  I  have  gathered  you,  as  a 
hen  gathereth  her  chickens,  and  ye  would  not. 
O,  ye  nouse  of  Israel,  whom  I  have  spared, 
how  oft  will  I  gather  you,  as  a  hen  gathereth 
her  chickens  under  her  wings,  if  ye  will,  re- 
pent and  return  unto  me  with  full  purpose 
of  heart.  But  if  not,  O  house  of  Israel,  the 
places  of  your  dwellings  shall  become  deso- 
late, until  the  time  of  the  fulfilling  of  the 
covenant  to  your  fathers. 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON.  179 

"And  now  it  came  to  pass,  that  after  the 
people  had  heard  these  words,  behold,  they 
began  to  weep  and  howl  again,  because  of  the 
loss  of  their  kindred  and  friends.  And 
it  came  to  pass  that  thus  did  three  days 
pass  away.  And  it  was  in  the  morning, 
and  the  darkness  dispersed  from  off  the 
face  of  the  land,  and  the  earth  did  cease 
to  tremble,  and  the  rocks  did  cease  to 
rend,  and  the  dreadful  groaiiings  did  cease, 
and  all  the  tumultuous  noises  did  pass  away, 
and  the  earth  did  cleave  together  again,  that 
it  stood;  and  the  mourning,  and  the  weeping, 
and  the  wailing  of  the  people  who  were 
spared  alive,  did  cease,  and  their-mourning 
was  turned  into  joy,  and  their  lamentations  in- 
to the  praise  and  thanksgiving  unto  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  their  Redeemer.  And  thus  far 
were  the  Scriptures  fulfilled,  which  had  been 
spoken  by  the  prophets." 

Here,  then,  is  an  account  which  shows, 
clearly  ^nd  definitely,  how  and  when  the 
American  antiquities  became  buried;  how  the 
stumps  of  trees  were  placed  eighty  or  ninety 
feet  under  ground;  how  cities  were  sunk, 
and  overwhelmed;  how  mountains  fell  and 
valleys  rose;  how  the  rocks  were  rent,  and 
how  the  whole  face  of  the  continent  became 
altered  and  deformed.  We  now  close  this 


180  THE  RESURRECTION 

subject  by  saying  to  all  the  people,  if  you 
wish  information  on  the  antiquities  of  Amer- 
ica; if  you  wish  historical,  prophetical,  or 
doctrinal  information  of  the  highest  import- 
ance, read  carefully  the  Book  of  Mormon. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  RESURRECTION  OF  THE  SAINTS,  AND  THE 
RESTORATION  OF  ALL  THINGS  SPOKEN  BY 
THE  PROPHETS. 

THIS  is  one  of  the  most  important  subjects 
upon  which  the  human  mind  can  contem- 
plate; and  one  perhaps  as  little  understood, 
in  the  present  age,  as  any  other  now  lying 
over  the  face  of  prophecy.  But,  however 
neglected  at  the  present  time,  it  was  once  the 
groundwork  of  the  faith,  hope,  and  joy  of 
the  Saints.  It  was  a  correct  understanding 
of  this  subject,  and  firm  belief  in  it,  that  in- 
fluenced all  their  movements.  Their  minds 
once  fastening  upon  it,  they  could  not  be 


AND  RESTORATION.  181 

shaken  from  their  purposes;  their  faith  was 
firm,  their  joy  constant,  and  their  hope  like 
an  anchor  to  the  soul,  both  sure  and  stead- 
fast, reaching  to  that  within  the  veil.  It  was 
this  that  enabled  them  to  rejoice  in  the  midst 
of  tribulation,  persecution,  sword,  and  flame; 
and  in  view  of  this,  they  took  joyfully  the 
spoiling  of  their  goods,  and  gladly  wandered 
as  strangers  and  pilgrims  on  the  earth.  For 
they  sought  a  country,  a  city,  and  an  inherit- 
ance that  none  but  a  saint  ever  thought  of, 
understood,  or  even  hoped  for. 

Now,  we  can  never  understand  precisely 
what  is  meant  by  restoration,  unless  we  un- 
derstand what  is  lost  or  taken  away;  for  in- 
stance, when  we  offer  to  restore  anything  to 
a  man,  it  is  as  much  as  to  say  he  once  pos- 
sessed it,  but  had  lost  it,  and  we  propose  to 
replace,  or  put  him  in  possession  of,  that 
which  he  once  had;  therefore,  when  a 
Prophet  speaks  of  the  restoration  of  all 
things,  he  means  that  all  things  have  under- 
gone a  change,  and  are  to  be  again  restored 
to  their  primitive  order,  even  as  they  first 
existed. 

First,  then,  it  becomes  necessary  to  take  a 
view  of  creation,  as  it  rolled  in  purity  from 
the  hand  of  its  Creator;  and  if  we  can  dis- 
cover the  true  state  in  which  it  then  existed, 


182  THE  RESURRECTION 

and  understand  the  changes  that  have  taken 
place  since,  then  we  shall  be  able  to  under- 
stand what  is  to  be  restored;  and  thus,  our 
minds  being  prepared,  we  shall  be  looking 
for  the  very  things  which  will  come,  and 
shall  be  in  no  danger  of  lifting  our  puny  arm 
in  ignorance,  to  oppose  the  things  of  God. 
First,  then,  we  will  take  a  view  of  the 
earth,  as  to  its  surface,  local  situation,  and 
productions. 

When  God  had  created  the  heavens  and  the 
earth,  and  separated  the  light  from  the  dark- 
ness, His  next  great  command  was  to  the 
waters,  Genesis,  i,  9:  "And  God  said,  Let  the 
waters  under  the  heaven,  be  gathered  to- 
gether into  one  place,  and  let  the  dry  land 
appear:  and  it  was  so."  From  this  we  learn 
a  marvelous  fact,  which  very  few  have  ever 
realized  or  believed  in  this  benighted  age;  we 
learn  that  the  waters,  which  are  now  divided 
into  oceans,  seas,  and  lakes,  were  then  all 
gathered  together,  into  one  vast  ocean;  and, 
consequently,  that  the  land,  which  is  now 
torn  asunder,  and  divided  into  continents 
and  islands,  almost  innumerable,  was  then 
one  vast  continent  or  body,  not  separated  as 
it  now  is. 

Second,  we  hear  the  Lord  God  pronounce 
the  earth,  as  well  as  everything  else,  very 


AND  RESTORATION.  183 

good.  From  this  we  learn  that  there  were  nei- 
ther deserts,  barren  places,  stagnant  swamps, 
rough,  broken,  rugged  hills;  nor  vast  moun- 
tains covered  with  eternal  snow;  and  no  part 
of  it  was  located  in  the  frigid  zone,  so  as  to 
render  its  climate  dreary  and  unproductive, 
subject  to  eternal  frost,  or  everlasting  chains 
of  ice — 

Where  no  sweet  flowers  the  dreary  landscape  cheer, 
Nor  plenteous  harvests  crown  the  passing  year. 

But  the  whole  earth  was  probably  one  vast 
plain,  or  interspersed  with  gently  rising  hills, 
and  sloping  vales,  well  calculated  for  cultiva- 
tion ;  while  its  climate  was  delightfully 
varied,  with  the  moderate  changes  of  heat 
and  cold,  of  wet  and  dry,  which  only  tended 
to  crown  the  varied  year  with  the  greater 
variety  of  productions,  all  for  the  good  of 
man,  animal,  fowl,  or  creeping  thing;  while 
from  the  flowery  plain  or  spicy  grove,  sweet 
odors  were  wafted  on  every  breeze;  and  all 
the  vast  creation  of  animated  being  breathed 
naught  but  health,  and  peace,  and  joy. 

Next,  we  learn  from  Genesis,  i,  29, 30:  "And 
God  said,  Behold,  I  have  given  you  every 
herb  bearing  seed,  which  is  upon  the  face  of 
all  the  earth,  and  every  tree,  in  which  is  the 
fruit  of  a  tree,  yielding  seed;  to  you  it  shall 


184  THE  RESURRECTION' 

be  for  meat.  And  to  every  beast  of  the 
earth,  and  to  every  fowl  of  the  air,  and  to 
everything  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth, 
wherein  there  is  life,  I  have  given  every 
green  herb  for  meat:  and  it  was  so."  From 
these  verses  we  learn,  that  the  earth  yielded 
neither  nauseous  weeds  nor  poisonous  plants, 
nor  useless  thorns  and  thistles;  indeed  every 
thing  that  grew  was  just  calculated  for  the 
food  of  man,  beast,  fowl,  and  creeping  thing; 
and  their  food  was  all  vegetable.  Flesh  and 
blood  were  never  sacrificed  to  glut  their 
souls,  or  gratify  their  appetites;  the  beasts  of 
the  earth  were  all  in  perfect  harmony  with 
each  other;  the  lion  ate  straw  like  the  ox,  the 
wolf  dwelt  with  the  larnb,  the  leopard  lay 
down  with  the  kid,  the  cow  and  bear  fed  to- 
gether, in  the  same  pasture,  while  their 
young  ones  reposed,  in  perfect  security,  un- 
der the  shade  of  the  same  trees;  all  was 
peace  and  harmony,  and  nothing  to  hurt  nor 
disturb,  in  all  the  holy  mountain. 

And  to  crown  the  whole,  we  behold  man 
created  in  the  image  of  God,  and  exalted  in 
dignity  and  power,  having  dominion  overall 
the  vast  creation  of  animated  beings,  which 
swarmed  through  the  earth,  while,  at  the 
same  time,  he  inhabits  a  beautiful  and  well 
watered  garden,  in  the  midst  of  which  stood 


AND  RESTORATION.  185 

the  tree  of  life,  to  which  he  had  free  access  ; 
while  he  stood  in  the  presence  of  his  Maker, 
conversed  with  Him  face  to  face,  and  gazed 
upon  His  glory,  without  a  dimming  veil  be- 
tween. O  reader,  contemplate,  for  a  moment, 
the  beautiful  creation,  clothed  with  peace  , 
and  plenty ;  the  earth  teeming  with  harmless 
animals,  rejoicing  over  all  the  plain  ;  the  air 
swarming  with  delightful  birds,whose  never- 
ceasing  notes  filled  the  air  with  varied  mel- 
ody ;  and  all  in  subjection  to  their  rightful 
sovereign,  who  rejoiced  over  them ;  while  in 
a  delightful  garden— the  capitol  of  creation, 
man  was  seated  on  the  throne  of  this  vast 
empire,  swaying  his  sceptre  over  all  the 
earth  with  undisputed  right ;  while  legions  of 
angels  encamped  round  about  him, and  joined 
their  glad  voices  in  grateful  songs  of  praise, 
and  shouts  of  joy ;  neither  a  sigh  nor  groan 
was  heard  throughout  the  vast  expanse  ; 
neither  were  there  sorrow,  tears,  pain,  weep- 
ing, sickness,  nor  death;  neither  conten- 
tions, wars,  nor  bloodshed ;  but  peace  crowned 
the  seasons  as  they  rolled,  and  life,  joy,  and 
love  reigned  over  all  God's  works.  But,  O, 
how  changed  the  scene! 

It  now  becomes  my  painful  duty  to  trace 
some  of  the  important  changes  which  have 
taken  place,  and  the  causes  which  have  con- 


186  THE  RESURRECTION 

spired  to  reduce  the  earth  and  its  inhabitants 
to  their  present  state. 

First,  man  fell  from  his  standing  before 
God,  by  giving  heed  to  temptation  ;  and  this 
fall  affected  the  whole  creation,  as  well  as 
man,  and  caused  various  changes  to  take 
place  ;  he  was  banished  from  the  presence  of 
his  Creator,  and  a  veil  was  drawn  between 
them,  and  man  was  driven  from  the  garden 
of  Eden,  to  till  the  earth,  which  was  then 
cursed  for  his  sake,  and  should  begin  to 
bring  forth  thorns  and  thistles ;  and  with  the 
sweat  of  his  face  he  should  earn  his  bread, 
and  in  sorrow  eat  of  it,  all  the  days  of  his 
life,  and  finally  return  to  dust.  But  as  to 
Eve,  her  curse  was  a  great  multiplicity  of 
sorrow  and  conception;  and  between  her 
seed  and  the  seed  of  the  serpent  there  was  to 
be  a  constant  enmity;  it  should  bruise  the 
serpent's  head,  and  the  serpent  should  bruise 
his  heel. 

Now,  reader,  contemplate  the  change.  This 
scene,  which  was  so  beautiful  a  little  before, 
had  now  become  the  abode  of  sorrow  and 
toil,  of  death  and  mourning:  the  earth  groan- 
ing with  its  production  of  accursed  thorns 
and  thistles ;  man  and  beast  at  enmity  ;  the 
serpent  slyly  creeping  away,  fearing  lest  his 
head  should  get  the  deadly  bruise ;  and  man 


AND  RESTORATION.  187 

startling  amid  the  thorny  path,  in  fear,  lest 
the  serpent's  fangs  should  pierce  his  heel ; 
while  the  lamb  yields  his  blood  upon  the 
smoking  altar.  Soon  man  begins  to  perse- 
cute, hate,  and  murder  his  fellow,  until  at 
length  the  earth  is  filled  with  violence,  all 
flesh  becomes  corrupt,  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness prevail,  and  it  repented  Noah  that  God 
had  made  man,  and  it  grieved  him  at  his 
heart,  because  the  Lord  should  come  out  in 
vengeance,  and  cleanse  the  earth  by  water. 

How  far  the  flood  may  have  contributed  to 
produce  the  various  changes,  as  to  the  divi- 
sion of  the  earth  into  broken  fragments, 
islands  and  continents,  mountains  and  val- 
leys, we  have  not  been  informed;  the  change 
must  have  been  considerable.  But  after  the 
flood,  in  the  days  of  Peleg,  the  earth  was 
divided.  See  Gen.,  x,  25.  A  short  history, 
to  be  sure,  of  so  great  an  event ;  but  still  it 
will  account  for  the  mighty  revolution  which 
rolled  the  sea  from  its  own  place  in  the  north, 
and  brought  it  to  interpose  between  different 
portions  of  the  earth,  which  were  thus  parted 
asunder,  and  moved  into  something  near 
their  present  form  ;  this,  together  with  the 
earthquakes,  revolutions,  and  commotions 
which  have  since  taken  place,  have  all  con- 
tributed to  reduce  the  face  of  the  earth  to  its 


188  THE  RESURRECTION 


present  state  ;  while  the  great  curses 
have  fallen  upon  different  portions,  because 
of  the  wickedness  of  men,  will  account  for 
the  stagnant  swamps,  the  sunken  lakes,  the 
dead  seas,  the  great  deserts  ;  witness,  for  in- 
stance, the  denunciations  of  the  Prophets 
upon  Babylon,  how  it  was  to  become  per- 
petual desolations,  a  den  of  wild  beasts,  a 
dwelling  of  unclean  and  hateful  birds,  a 
place  for  owls;  and  should  never  be  inhab- 
ited, but  should  lie  desolate  from  generation 
to  generation.  Witness  also  the  plains  of 
Sodom,  rilled  with  towns,  cities,  and  flour- 
ishing gardens,  well  watered  ;  but  O,  how 
changed!  A  vast  sea  of  stagnant  water  alone 
marks  the  place.  Witness  the  land  of  Pales- 
tine; in  the  days  of  Solomon,  it  was  capable 
of  sustaining  millions  of  people,  besides 
yielding  a  surplus  of  wheat,  and  other  pro- 
ductions, which  were  exchanged  with  the 
neighboring  nations  ;  whereas,  now  it  is  des- 
olate, and  hardly  capable  of  sustaining  a  few 
miserable  inhabitants.  And  when  I  cast  mine 
eyes  over  our  own  land,  and  see  the  numer- 
ous swamps,  lakes,  and  ponds  of  stagnant 
waters,  together  with  the  vast  mountains, 
and  innumerable  rough  places,  rocks  having 
been  rent,  and  torn  asunder,  from  centre  to 
circumference,  I  exclaim,  Whence  all  this? 


AND  KESTORATIOHT.  189 

When  I  read  the  Book  of  Mormon,  it  in- 
forms me,  that  while  Christ  was  crucified 
among  the  Jews,  this  whole  American  con- 
tinent was  shaken  to  its  foundation,  that 
many  cities  were  sunk,  and  waters  came  up 
in  their  places  ;  that  the  rocks  were  all  rent 
in  twain  ;  that  mountains  were  thrown  up  to 
an  exceeding  height ;  and  that  other  moun- 
tains became  valleys ;  the  level  roads  spoiled, 
and  the  whole  face  of  the  land  changed.  I 
then  exclaim,  These  things  are  no  longer  a 
mystery  ;  I  have  now  learned  to  account  for 
the  many  wonders,  which  I  everywhere  be- 
hold, throughout  our  whole  country.  When 
I  am  passing  a  ledge  of  rocks,  and  see  they 
have  all  been  rent  and  torn  asunder,  while 
some  huge  fragments  are  found  deeply  im- 
bedded in  the  earth,  some  rods  from  whence 
they  were  torn,  I  exclaim,  with  astonish- 
ment, These  were  the  groans!  the  convulsive 
throes  of  agonizing  nature!  while  the  Son  of 
God  suffered  upon  the  cross! 

But  men  have  degenerated,  and  greatly 
changed,  as  well  as  the  earth.  The  sins,  the 
abominations,  and  the  many  evil  habits  of 
the  latter  ages,  have  added  to  the  miseries, 
toils,  and  sufferings  of  human  life.  The 
idleness,  extravagance,  pride,  covetousness, 
drunkenness,  and  other  abominations,  which 


190  THE  KESURRECTION 

are  characteristics  of  the  latter  times,  have 
all  combined  to  sink  mankind  to  the  lowest 
state  of  wretchedness  and  degradation  ;  while 
priestcraft  and  false  doctrines  have  greatly 
tended  to  lull  mankind  to  sleep,  and  cause 
them  to  rest  infinitely  short  of  the  powers 
and  attainments  which  the  ancients  en- 
joyed, and  which  are  alone  calculated  to  ex- 
alt the  intellectual  powers  of  the  human 
mind,  to  establish  noble  and  generous  senti- 
ments, to  enlarge  the  heart,  and  to  expand 
the  soul  to  the  utmost  extent  of  its  capacity. 
Witness  the  ancients  conversing  with  the 
Great  Jehovah,  learning  lessons  from  the 
angels,  and  receiving  instruction  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  in  dreams  by  night,  and  visions  by 
day,  until  at  length  the  veil  is  taken  off,  and 
they  are  permitted  to  gaze,  with  wonder  and 
admiration,  upon  all  things  past  and  future  ; 
yea,  even  to  soar  aloft  amid  unnumbered 
worlds,  while  the  vast  expanse  of  eternity 
stands  open  before  them,  and  they  contem- 
plate the  mighty  works  of  the  Great  I  AM, 
until  they  know  as  they  are  known,  and  see 
as  they  are  seen. 

Compare  this  intelligence  with  the  low 
smatterings  of  education  and  worldly  wis- 
dom which  seem  to  satisfy  the  narrow  mind 
of  man  in  our  generation ;  yea,  behold  the 


AND  RESTORATION.  191 

narrow-minded,  calculating,  trading,  over- 
reaching, penurious  sycophant  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  who  dreams  of  nothing  here, 
but  how  to  increase  his  goods,  or  take  advan- 
tage of  his  neighbor ;  and  whose  only  reli- 
gious exercise  or  duties  consist  of  going  to 
meeting,  paying  the  priest  his  hire,  or  pray- 
ing to  his  God,  without  expecting  to  be  heard 
or  answered,  supposing  that  God  has  been  deaf 
and  dumb  for  many  centuries,  or  altogether 
stupid  and  indifferent  like  himself.  And 
having  seen  the  two  contrasted,  you  will  be 
able  to  form  some  idea  of  the  vast  elevation 
from  which  man  has  fallen ;  you  will  also 
learn  how  infinitely  beneath  his  former  glory 
and  dignity  he  is  now  living,  and  your  heart 
will  mourn,  and  be  exceedingly  sorrowful, 
when  you  contemplate  him  in  his  low  estate 
— and  then  think  he  is  your  brother ;  and 
you  will  be  ready  to  exclaim,  with  wonder 
and  astonishment:  "O  man  !  how  art  thou 
fallen !  Once  thou  wast  the  favorite  of 
heaven ;  thy  Maker  delighted  to  converse 
with  thee,  and  angels,  and  the  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect,  were  thy  companions;  but 
now  thou  art  degraded,  and  brought  down  to 
a  level  with  the  beasts  ;  yea,  far  beneath 
them,  for  they  look  with  horror  and  affright 
at  your  vain  amusements,  your  sports,  and 


192  THE  RESUBRECTION 

your  drunkenness,  and  thus  often  set  an  ex- 
ample worthy  of  your  imitation.  Well  did 
the  Apostle  Peter  say  of  you,  that  you  know 
nothing,  only  what  you  know  naturally  as 
brute  beasts,  made  to  be  taken  and  destroyed. 
And  thus  you  perish,  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration, while  all  creation  groans  under  its 
pollution  ;  and  sorrow  and  death,  mourning 
and  weeping,  fill  up  the  measure  of  the  days 
of  man!"  But,  O  my  soul,  dwell  no  longer 
on  this  awful  scene  !  let  it  suffice  to  have  dis- 
covered, in  some  degree,  what  is  lost.  Let 
us  turn  our  attention  to  what  the  Prophets 
have  said  should  be  restored. 

The  Apostle  Peter,  while  preaching  to  the 
Jews,  says:  "  And  He  shall  send  Jesus  Christ, 
which  before  was  preached  unto  you,  whom 
the  heavens  must  receive,  until  the  times  of 
the  restitution  (restoration)  of  all  things 
which  God  hath  spoken,  by  the  mouth  of  all 
His  holy  prophets  since  the  world  began. "  It 
appears  from  the  above,  that  all  the  holy 
Prophets  from  Adam  to  Christ,  and  those 
that  followed  after,  had  their  eyes  upon  a 
certain  time,  when  all  things  should  be  re- 
stored to  their  primitive  beauty  and  excel- 
lence. We  also  learn,  that  the  time  of  resti- 
tution was  to  be  at  or  near  the  time  of  Christ's 
second  coming ;  for  the  heavens  are  to  re- 


AND  RESTORATION.  193 

ceive  Him,  until  the  times  of  restitution,  and 
the  Father  shall  send  Him  again  to  the  earth. 
We  will  now  proceed  to  notice  Isaiah,  xl, 
1—5.  "Comfort  ye,  comfort  ye  my  people, 
saith  your  God.  Speak  ye  comfortably  to 
Jerusalem,  and  cry  unto  her,  that  her  war- 
fare is  accomplished,  that  her  iniquity  is 
pardoned ;  for  she  hath  received  of  the 
Lord's  hand,  double  for  all  her  sins.  Tine 
voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  wilderness, 
Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make 
straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God. 
Every  valley  shall  be  exalted,  and  every 
mountain  and  hill  shall  be  made  low ;  and 
the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight,  and  the 
rough  places  plain  ;  and  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  revealed,  and  all  flesh  shall  see 
it  together ;  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  it." 

From  these  verses  we  learn,  first,  that  the 
voice  of  one  shall  be  heard  in  the  wilderness, 
;  to  prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord,  just  at  the 
f  time  when  Jerusalem  has  been  trodden  down 
iof  the  Gentiles  long  enough  to  have  received, 
at  the  Lord's  hand,  double  for  all  her  sins, 
•  yea,  when  the  warfare  of  Jerusalem  is  ac- 
complished, and  her  iniquities  pardoned. 
:  Then  shall  this  proclamation  be  made  as  ifc 

was  before  by  John,  yea,  a  second  proclaina- 
13 


194  THE  RESURRECTION 

tion,  to  prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord,  for  His 
second  coming ;  and  about  that  time  every 
valley  shall  exalted,  and  every  mountain  and 
hill  shall  be  made  low,  and  the  crooked  shall 
be  made  straight,  and  the  rough  places  plain, 
and  then  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  re- 
vealed, and  all  flesh  shall  see  it  together,  for 
the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it. 

Thus  you  see,  every  mountain  being  made 
low,  and  every  valley  exalted,  and  the  rough 
places  being  made  plain,  and  the  crooked 
places  straight— that  these  mighty  revolu- 
tions will  begin  to  restore  the  face  of  the  earth 
to  its  former  beauty.  But  all  this  done,  we 
have  not  yet  gone  through  our  restoration  ; 
there  are  many  more  great  things  to  be  done 
in  order  to  restore  all  things. 

Our  next,  is  Isaiah,  twenty-fifth  chapter, 
where  we  again  read  of  the  Lord's  second  ^ 
coming,  and  of  the  mighty  works  which  at-  ' 
tend  it.  The  barren  desert  should  abound 
with  pools  and  springs  of  living  water,  and 
should  produce  grass,  with  flowers  blooming 
and  blossoming  as  the  rose,  and  that,  too, 
about  the  time  of  the  coming  of  their  God, 
with  vengeance  and  recompense,  which  must 
allude  to  His  second  coming  ;  and  Israel  is  to 
come  at  the  same  time  to  Zion,  with  songs  of 
everlasting  joy,  and  sorrow  and  sighing  shall 


AND  RESTORATION.  195 

flee  away.  Here,  then,  we  have  the  curse 
taken  off  the  deserts,  and  they  become  a  fruit- 
ful, well-watered  country. 

We  will  now  inquire  whether  the  islands 
return  again  to  the  continents,  from  whence 
they  were  separated.  For  this  subject  we 
refer  you  to  Revelations,  vi,  14.  "  And  every 
mountain  and  island  were  moved  out  of  their 
places."  From  this  we  learn  that  they 
moved  somewhere  ;  and  as  it  is  the  time  of 
restoring  what  has  been  lost,  they  accord- 
ingly return  and  join  themselves  to  the  land 
whence  they  came. 

Our  next  is  Isaiah,  xiii,  13,  14,  where  "The 
earth  shall  remove  out  of  her  place,  And 
shall  be  as  the  chased  roe,  which  no  man 
taketh  up."  Also  Isaiah,  Ixii,  4:  "Thou 
shalt  no  more  be  termed  Forsaken  ;  neither 
shall  thy  land  any  more  be  termed  Desolate  ; 
but  thou  shalt  be  called  Hephzi-bah,  and  thy 
land  Beulah  ;  for  the  Lord  delighteth  in  thee, 
and  thy  land  shall  be  married." 

In  the  first  instance,  we  have  the  earth  on 
a  move  like  a  chased  roe  ;  and  in  the  second 
place,  we  have  it  married.  And  from  the 
whole,  and  various  Scriptures,  we  learn,  that 
the  continents  and  islands  shall  be  united  in 
one,  as  they  were  on  the  morn  of  creation, 
and  the  sea  shall  retire  and  assemble  in  its 


196  THE  RESURRECTION 

own  place,  where  it  was  before ;  and  all  these 
scenes  shall  take  place  during  the  mighty 
convulsion  of  nature,  about  the  time  of  the 
coming  of  the  Lord. 

Behold !  the  mount  of  Olives  rent  in  twain : 
While  on  its  top  He  sets  His  feet  again, 
The  islands,  at  His  word,    obedient,  flee; 
While  to  the  north  He  rolls  the  mighty  sea; 
Restores  the  earth  in  one,  as  at  the  first, 
With  all  its  blessings,  and  removes  the  curse. 

Having  restored  the  earth  to  the  same 
glorious  state  in  which  it  first  existed— level- 
ing the  mountains,  exalting  the  valleys, 
smoothing  the  rough  places,  making  the 
deserts  fruitful,  and  bringing  all  the  conti- 
nents and  islands  together,  causing  the  curse 
to  be  taken  off,  that  noxious  weeds,  and 
thorns,  and  thistles  shall  no  longer  be  pro- 
duced; the  next  thing  is  to  regulate  and 
restore  the  brute  creation  to  their  former 
state  of  peace  and  glory,  causing  all  enmity 
to  cease  from  off  the  earth.  But  this  will 
never  be  done  until  there  is  a  general  destruc- 
tion poured  out  upon  man,  which  will  entirely 
cleanse  the  earth,  and  sweep  all  wicked- 
ness from  its  face.  This  will  be  done  by  the 
rod  of  His  mouth,  and  by  the  breath  of  His 
lips;  or,  in.  other  words,  by  fire  as  uni- 


AND  RESTORATION.  197 

versal  as  the  flood.  Isaiah  xi,  4,  6—9: 
"But  with  righteousness  shall  He  judge 
the  poor,  and  reprove  with  equity  for 
the  meek  of  the  earth;  and  He  shall 
smite  the  earth  with  the  rod  of  His 
mouth,  and  with  the  toreath  of  His  lips  shall 
He  slay  the  wicked.  The  wolf  also  shall 
dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall 
lie  down  with  the  kid;  and  the  calf  and  the 
young  lion,  and  the  fatling  together;  and  a 
little  child  shall  lead  them.  And  the  cow 
and  the  bear  shall  feed;  their  young  ones 
shall  lie  down  together;  and  the  lion  shall 
eat  straw  like  the  ox.  And  the  suckling 
child  shall  play  on  the  hole  of  the  asp,  and  the 
weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  on  the 
cockatrice's  den.  They  shall  not  hurt  nor 
destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain;  for  the 
earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea." 
;  Thus,  having  cleansed  the  earth,  and 
glorified  it  with  the  knowledge  of  God,  as 
the  waters  cover  the  sea,  and  having  poured 
out  His  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,  both  man  and 
beast  becoming  perfectly  harmless,  as  they 
were  in  the  beginning,  and  feeding  on  vege- 
table food  only,  while  nothing  is  left  to  hurt 
or  destroy  in  all  the  vast  creation,  the 
Prophets  then  proceed  to  give  us  many 


198  THE  RESURRECTION 

glorious  descriptions  of  the  enjoyments  of 
its  inhabitants.  "They  shall  build  houses 
and  inhabit  them;  and  they  shall  plant  vine- 
yards and  eat  the  fruit  of  them;  they  shall 
not  build  and  another  inhabit;  they  shall 
not  plant  and  another  eat;  for  as  the  days  of 
a  tree  are  the  days  of  my  people,  and  mine 
elect  shall  long  enjoy  the  work  of  their  hands. 
They  shall  not  labor  in  vain,  nor  bring  forth 
for  trouble;  for  they  are  the  seed  of  the  blest 
of  the  Lord,  and  their  offspring  with  them; 
and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  before  they 
call  I  will  answer,  and  while  they  are  yet 
speaking  I  will  hear."  In  this  happy  state 
of  existence  it  seems  that  all  people  will  live 
to  the  full  age  of  a  tree,  and  this,  too,  without 
pain  or  sorrow,  and  whatsoever  they 
ask  will  be  immediately  answered,  and 
even  all  their  wants  will  be  anticipated. 
Of  course,  then,  none  of  them  will  sleep  in 
the  dust,  for  they  will  prefer  to  be  trans- 
lated, that  is,  changed  in  the  twinkling  of 
an  eye,  from  mortal  to  immortal;  after 
which  they  will  continue  to  reign  with  Jesus 
on  the  earth. 

Thus  we  have  traced  the  Prophets  through 
the  varying  scenes  which  conspire  to  restore 
the  earth,  and  its  inhabitants,  to  that  state  of 
perfection  in  which  they  first  existed,  and  in 


AND  RESTORATION.  199 

which  they  will  exist  during  the  great  Sab- 
bath of  creation.  Having  seen  all  things  re- 
stored among  the  living,  we  will  now  inquire 
after  those  who  sleep  in  the  dust;  but,  in 
order  to  understand  precisely  the  nature  of 
their  restoration,  we  must  ascertain  the 
particulars  concerning  the  resurrection  of 
Jesus,  for  He  was  an  exact  pattern  after  which 
all  His  Saints  will  be  raised.  We  recollect, 
first,  that  he  was  clothed  upon  with  flesh, 
and  blood,  and  bones,  like  another  man,  and 
every  way  subject  to  hunger,  thirst,  pain, 
weariness,  sickness,  and  death,  like  any 
other  person — with  this  difference,  that  He 
was  capable  of  enduring  more  than  any 
other  human  body.  Second,  this  same  body 
was  hung  upon  the  cross,  torn  with  nails, 
which  were  driven  through  His  hands  and 
feet,  and  His  side  pierced  with  a  spear,  from 
which  there  came  out  blood  and  water. 
Third,  this  same  body,  being  perfectly  life- 
less, like  any  other  corpse,  was  taken,  without 
a  bone  being  broken,  and  carefully  wrapped 
in  linen  and  laid  in  the  tomb,  where  it  con- 
tinued until  the  third  day;  when,  early  in 
the  morning,  the  women  came  to  the  sepul- 
chre, and  His  disciples  also,  and  found  the 
linen  clothes  lying  useless,  and  the  napkin 
which  was  about  His  head  carefully  folded 


200  THE  RESUKRECTION 

andJaid  by  itself,   but  the  body  which  had 
lain  there  was  gone. 

From  all  these  circumstances,  we  discover 
that  the  same -flesh  and  bones  which  were 
laid  in  the  tomb  were  actually  re-aniinated, 
and  did  arise  and  flay  aside  the  linen  which 
was  no  longer  needed.  And  Jesus  Christ 
came  forth  triumphant  from  the  mansions  of 
the  dead,  possessing  the  same  body  which 
had  been  born  of  a  woman,  and  which  was 
crucified;  but  no  blood  flowed  in  His  veins, 
for  blood  was  the  natural  life,  in  which  were 
the  principles  of  mortality,  and  a  man  re- 
stored to  flesh  and  blood  would  be  mortal, 
and,  consequently,  again  subject  unto  death, 
which  was  not  the  case  with  our  Savior, 
although  He  had  flesh  and  bones  after  He 
arose,  for  when  He  appeared  to  His  disciples, 
and  they  were  afraid,  supposing  it  was  only 
a  spirit,  in  order  to  show  them  their  mistake, 
He  said:  * 'Handle  me  and  see,  for  a  spirit 
hath  not  flesh  and  bones  as  ye  see  me  have." 
And  calling  for  something  to  eat,  He  was 
provided  with  a  piece  of  broiled  fish  and 
honeycomb,  and  He  did  eat.  And  even  after- 
wards, Thomas  was  invited  to  put  his  finger 
into  the  prints  of  the  nails  in  His  hands  and 
feet,  and  to  thrust  his  hand  into  His  side, 
from  which  it  was  evident  that  He  not  only 


AND  BESTOBATION.  201 

possessed *4he  -same  •  body,  but  -the  same 
wounds  also  continued  to  show  themselves 
for  arWitness,and  will  continue  until  He  comes 
again,  when  the  Jews  will  look  upon  Him 
whom  they  have  pierced,  and  inquire,  "What 
are  these  wounds  in  thy  hands  and  in  thy 
feet?" 

O  ye  hard  hearted,  ye  ungodly  children  of 
men!  your  eyes  will  very  soon  behold  Him 
who  was  crucified  for  your  sins;  then  shall 
ye  see  that  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  is  a 
reality,  something  tangible,  and  that  eternity 
is  not  a  land  of  shades,  nor  a  wo*rld  of  phan- 
toms, as  some  suppose. 

Among  other  things  whioh  Jesus  did  after 
the  resurrection,  we  find  Him  in  the  humble 
attitude  of  broiling  fish,  and  calling  His  dis- 
ciples to  come  and  dine.  O  what  simplicity, 
what  love,  what  condescension!  Wonder,  O 
heavens!  Be  astonished,  O  earth!  Behold 
the  Redeemer  clothed  upon  with  immortality, 
and  yet  seated  by  a  fire  of  coals,  in  the  open 
air,  with  His  brethren,  humbly  partaking  of 
a  meal  of  fish,  actually  prepared  by  His 
own  hands!  O  ye  great  andnoble  of  the 
earth,  who  roll  in  luxury  and  refinement! 
O  ye  priests,  who  are  loaded  with  the  honors, 
titles,  dignities,  riches,  and  splendor  of  the 
world,  here  is  a  lesson  for  you,  which  will 


202  THE  RESURRECTION 

make  you  blush:  boast  no  more  of  being 
followers  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus! 

But  to  return  to  the  subject  of  the  resur- 
rection. Having  proved  to  a  demonstration, 
that  our  Savior  rose  from  the  dead,  with  the 
same  body  which  was  crucified— possessing 
flesh  and  bones,  that  He  ate  and  drank  with 
His  disciples,  it  puts  the  matter  forever  at  rest 
respecting  the  resurrection  of  the  Saints. 
But  if  more  proof  were  wanting,  we  have  it 
in  the  prophecy  of  Job,  quoted  in  a  former 
part  of  this  work,  where  he  declares  that  his 
Redeemer  will  stand,  in  the  latter-day,  upon 
the  earth,  and  he  should  see  Him  in  the  flesh, 
though  worms  should  destroy  the  body 
which  he  then  had.  The  fact  is,  the  Saints 
will  again  receive  their  bodies,  every  joint 
being  in  its  proper  and  perfect  frame,  and 
clothed  upon  with  flesh,  sinews,  and  skin, 
like  as  we  now  are;  the  whole  being  im- 
mortal, no  more  to  see  corruption,  and 
clothed  with  a  white  robe  of  fine  linen,  suit- 
able for  immortality  to  wear.  Well  did  the 
Apostle  say,  In  heaven  we  have  a  more  en- 
during substance  (not  shadow). 

But  in  order  to  illustrate  this  subject  still 
farther,  we  will  carefully  examine  Ezekiel 
xxxvii,  which  we  have  touched  upon  before. 
In  this  vision,  the  Prophet  is  carried  away 


AND  RESTOBATON.  273 

in  the  Spirit,  and  a  valley  of  dry  bones  is 
presented  before  him,  and  they  are  very 
numerous  and  very  dry;  and  while  he  stands 
musing  and  contemplating  the  awful  scene, 
a  very  wonderful  question  is  proposed  to 
him:  "Son  of  man,  can  these  dry  bones 
live?"  and  he  answered:  "O  Lord  God,  thou 
knowest."  And  the  Lord  said:  "Son  of  man, 
prophesy  upon  these  bones,  and  say,  O  ye 
dry  bones,  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord."  So 
he  prophesied  as  he  was  commanded,  and, 
as  he  prophesied,  there  was  a  noise,  and  be- 
hold, a  shaking,  and  the  bones  came  together, 
bone  to  his  bone,  and  the  sinews  and  the  flesh 
came  upon  them,  and  the  skin  covered  them. 
And  again  he  prophesied  to  the  winds,  say- 
ing: "Come  from  the  four  winds,  O  breath, 
and  breathe  upon  these  slain,  that  they  may 
live;"  and  the  breath  entered  into  them,  and 
they  lived  and  stood  upon  their  feet,  an  ex- 
ceeding great  army.  We  have  heard  many 
comments  upon  this  vision;  some  compare 
it  to  sinners  being  converted,  and  some  to 
the  body  of  Christ,  the  Church,  when  dead 
as  to  the  spiritual  gifts;  but  the  Church  be- 
coming dead,  can  no  longer  be  said  to  be  the 
body  of  Christ,  as  when  she  abides  in  the 
true  vine,  she  lives  and  bears  fruit,  and  is 
not  dead,  and  when  she  does  not  abide  in 


204  THE  RESURRECTION 

Him,  she  is  cut  off  as  a  branch  withered,  and 
burned,  instead  of  rising  again.  But  did 
you  ever  hear  the  Lord's  own  explanation  of 
this  vision,  in  the  same  chapter?  It  so  far 
surpasses  all  other  comments,  I  am  inclined 
to  believe  it;  I  will  therefore  write  it  in 
preference  to  any  other,  and  run  the  risk  of 
becoming  unpopular  by  so  doing.  The  Lord 
says:  "Son  of  man,  these  bones  are  the 
whole  house  of  Israel;  behold,  they  say, 
Our  bones  are  dried,  and  our  hope  is  lost:  we 
are  cut  off  for  our  parts.  Therefore,  prophesy 
and  say  unto  them,  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God, 
Behold,  O  my  people,  I  will  open  your 
graves,  and  cause  you  to  come  up  out  of  your 
graves,  and  bring  you  into  the  land  of  Israel: 
and  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord,  when 
I  have  opened  your  graves,  O  my  people,  and 
brought  you  up  out  of  your  graves,  and 
shall  put  my  Spirit  in  you,  and  ye  shall  live; 
and  I  shall  place  you  in  your  own  land. 
Then  shall  ye  know  that  I  the  Lord  have 
spoken  it,  and  performed  it,  saith 'the  Lord." 
Thus  you  have  the  whole  vision  unfolded 
plainly,  if  the  Lord's  authority  can  once  be 
allowed,  which  is  seldom  the  case  in  this  age 
of  wisdom  and  learning.  The  fact  is,  all  the 
seed  of  Israel  are  to  be  raised  from  the  dead, 
and  are  to  be  brought  into  the  land  of  Israel, 


AND  RESTORATION.  205 

which  was  given  to  them  for  an  everlasting 
inheritance.  And  in  order  to  do  this,  their 
old  dry  bones  are  to  be  brought  together, 
bone  to  its  bone,  and  every  part  of  their 
bodies  is  to  be  reinstated;  and  it  will  make 
a  great  noise,  and  a  wonderful  shaking  when 
they  come  together;  and  surely  when  they 
stand  upon  their  feet  they  will  make  an  ex- 
ceeding great  army. 

This  just  explains  the  promise,  so  oft  re- 
peated in  Scripture:  "My  servant  David 
shall  be  their  prince  for  ever;"  indeed  this 
same  chapter  makes  the  promise  to  them, 
that  His  servant  David  shall  be  raised  up, 
and  shall  be  a  prince  among  them,  while  the 
Lord  shall  be  their  King;  while  both  they 
that  are  alive,  and  they  that  are  dead,  shall 
be  restored,  and  become  one  nation,  in  the 
land,  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel;  while 
David  comes  forth  and  reigns  as  a  prince  and 
shepherd  over  them  for  ever;  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  reigns  as  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of 
lords,  in  Mount  Zion,  and  in  Jerusalem,  and 
before  His  ancients  gloriously. 

O  glorious  day !   O  blessed  hope ! 
My  soul  leaps  forward  at  the  thought; 
When  in  that  happy,  happy  land, 
We'll  take  the  ancients  by  the  hand ; 
In  love  and  union  hail  our  friends ; 
And  Death  and  Sorrow  have  an  end. 


20G  THE  RESURRECTION 

I  now  no  longer  marvel,  when  I  call  to 
mind  that  Abraham  counted  himself  a 
stranger  and  a  pilgrim,  seeking  a  better 
country,  and  a  city  whose  builder  and  maker 
is  God.  It  seems  after  this  restoration  there 
will  be  but  one  more  change  necessary,  in 
order  to  fit  the  earth  for  man's  eternal  in- 
heritance; and  that  change  is  to  take  place  at 
the  last  day,  after  man  has  enjoyed  it  in 
peace  a  thousand  years.  We  have  now  dis- 
covered the  great  secret,  which  none  but  the 
Saints  have  understood  (but  was  well  under- 
stood by  them  in  all  ages  of  the  world^, 
which  is  this,  that  man  is  to  dwell  in  the  flesh, 
upon  the  earth,  with  the  Messiah,  with  the 
whole  house  of  Israel,  and  with  all  the  Saints 
of  the  Most  High,  not  only  one  thousand 
years,  but  for  ever  and  ever.  There  our  father 
Adam,  whose  hair  is  white  like  the  pure 
wool,  will  sit  enthroned  in  dignity,  as  the 
Ancient  of  Days,  the  great  Patriarch,  the 
mighty  Prince;  while  thousands  of  thousands 
stand  before  him,  and  ten  thousand  times 
ten  thousand  minister  to  him;  there  he  will 
hail  all  his  children,  who  died  in  the  faith  of 
the  Messiah;  while  Abel,  Enoch,  Noah, 
Abraham,  Job,  and  Daniel,  with  all  the 
Prophets  and  Apostles,  and  all  the  Saints  of 
God  of  all  ages,  hail  each  other  in  the  flesh. 


AND  RESTORATION.  207 

Jesus,  the  great  Messiah,  will  stand  in  the 
midst,  and,  to  crown  the  whole,  will  gird 
himself,  and  administer  bread  and  wine  to 
the  whole  multitude,  and  He  himself  will  par- 
take of  the  same  with  them  on  the  earth,  all 
being  clothed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white. 
This  is  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb. 
Blessed  are  they  who  partake  thereof. 

Having  traced  the  great  restoration  of  the 
earth  and  its  inhabitants,  until  we  find  them 
in  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  promises  made 
to  their  fathers;  and  having  learned  that  a 
future  state  is  not  a  state  of  shadows  and 
fables,  but  something  tangible,  even  a  more 
enduring  substance,  we  shall  now  take  a 
view  of  the  division  of  their  land,  and  the 
laying  out  of  their  city,  even  the  holy  city, 
where  the  tabernacle  of  God  and  His  sanctu- 
ary shall  be  forevermore,  for  of  course  this 
was  the  city  sought  for  by  Abraham  and 
others,  who  found  it  not. 

This  view  is  given  in  the  last  chapter  of 
Ezekiel,  where  he  divides  the  land,  by  lot, 
to  the  whole  twelve  tribes;  and  lays  off  the 
city,  and  sanctuary  in  the  midst,  with  its 
twelve  gates,  three  on  each  side,  the  whole 
tying  four  square.  But  in  the  forty-seventh 
chapter,  we  have  a  description  of  a  beautiful 
river,  which  will  issue  forth  from  the  eastern 


208  THE  RESURRECTION 

front  of  the  temple,  from  under  the  sanctu- 
ary, and  run  eastward  into  the  Dead  Sea, 
healing  the  waters,  and  causing  a  very  great 
multitude  of  . fishes;  so  that  from  Engedi, 
and  Eneglaim,  the  fishers  spread  forth  their 
nets;  while  the  miry  places  shall  not  be 
healed,  but  shall  be  given  to  salt.  And  on 
either  side  shall  grow  all  trees  for  meat, 
whose  leaf  shall  not  fade,  nor  shall  the  fruit 
thereof  be  consumed  ;  it  shall  bring  forth  new 
fruit  according  to  its  months,  because  of  the 
waters  issuing  from  the  sanctuary;  and  their 
fruits  shall  be  for  meat,  and  their  leaves  for 
medicine. 

But  to  set  forth  more  fully  the  building  of 
the  city,  and  the  materials  of  which  it  will  be 
built,  we  quote  Isaiah,  liv,  11,  to  the  end  of 
the  chapter:  "  O  thou  afflicted,  tossed  with 
tempest,  and  not  comforted,  behold,  I  will 
lay  thy  stones  with  fair  colors,  and  lay  thy 
foundations  with  sapphires.  And  I  will 
make  thy  windows  of  agates,  and  thy  gates  of 
carbuncles,  and  all  thy  borders  of  pleasant 
stones.  And  all  thy  children  shall  be  taught 
of  the  Lord  ;  and  great  shall  be  the  peace  of 
thy  children.  In  righteousness  shalt  thou 
be  established ;  thou  shalt  be  far  from  op- 
pression ;  for  thou  shalt  not  fear  :  and  from 
terror ;  for  it  shall  not  come  near  thee.  Be- 


AND  BESTOEATION.  209 

hold,  they  shall  surely  gather  together,  but 
not  by  me  :  whosoever  shall  gather  together, 
against  thee  shall  fall  for  thy  sake.  Behold 
I  have  created  the  smith  that  bloweth  the 
coals  in  the  fire,  and  that  bringeth  forth  an 
instrument  for  his  work ;  and  I  have  created 
the  waster  to  destroy.  No  weapon  that  is 
formed  against  thee  shall  prosper ;  and 
every  tongue  that  shall  rise  against  thee 
in  judgment  thou  shalt  condemn.  This 
is  the  heritage  of  the  servants  of  the  Lord, 
and  their  righteousness  is  of  me,  saith  the 
Lord." 

From  these  verses  we  learn  something  of 
the  beauty  of  their  city,  and  of  the  materials 
of  which  it  is  composed.  Their  stones  of 
fair  colors,  their  foundations  of  sapphires, 
their  windows  of  agates,  their  gates  of  car- 
buncles, and  all  their  borders  of  pleasant 
stones,  are  well  calculated  to  beautify  the 
place  of  His  sanctuary,  and  to  make  the 
place  of  His  feet  glorious,  as  well  as  to  give 
a  lustre  and  magnificence  to  the  whole  city, 
of  which  the  Gentilos,  with  all  their  boasted 
wealth  and  grandeur,  can  form  but  a  faint 
idea  ;  and  then  to  mark,  in  the  same  descrip- 
tion, the  knowledge,  as  well  as  the  peace  and 
security,  of  all  the  inhabitants  ;  while  they 
who  gather  together  against  them  to  battle 


210  THE  KESUBKECTION 

are  sure  to  fall  for  their  sake  :  surely  this  is 
the  heritage  of  the  servants  of  the  Lord, 
surely  this  is  a  delightful  city,  and  well  worth 
a  pilgrimage  like  Abraham's. 

But  in  order  to  form  a  still  more  striking 
idea  of  the  prosperity,  wealth,  beauty  and 
magnificence  of  the  cities  of  Zion  and  Jeru- 
salem, we  will  quote  Isaiah  Ix :  " Arise, 
shine ;  for  thy  light  is  come,  and  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon  thee.  For,  behold, 
the  darkness  shall  cover  the  earth,  and  gross 
darkness  the  people :  but  the  Lord  shall 
arise  upon  thee,  and  His  glory  shall  be  seen 
upon  thee.  And  the  Gentiles  shall  come  to 
thy  light,  and  kings  to  the  brightness  of  thy 
rising.  Lift  up  thine  eyes,  round  about,  and 
see ;  all  they  gather  themselves  together, 
they  come  to  thee  :  thy  sons  shall  come  from 
far,  and  thy  daughters  shall  be  nursed  at  thy 
side.  Then  thou  shalt  see,  and  flow  together, 
and  thine  heart  shall  fear,  and  be  enlarged ; 
because  the  abundance  of  the  sea  shall  be 
converted  unto  thee,  the  forces  of  the  Gen- 
tiles shall  come  unto  thee.  The  multitude  of 
camels  shall  cover  thee,*the  dromedaries  of 
Midian  and  Epha  ;  all  they  from  Sheba  shall 
come :  they  shall  bring  gold  and  incense ; 
and  they  shall  show  forth  the  praises  of  the 
Lord.  All  the  flocks  of  Kedar  shall  be  gath- 


AND  BESTOEATION.  211 

ered  together  unto  thee,  the  rams  of  Nebaioth 
shall  minister  unto  thee  :  they  shall  come  up 
with  acceptance  on  mine  altar,  and  I  will 
glorify  the  house  of  my  glory.  Who  are 
these  that  fly  as  a  cloud,  and  as  the  doves  to 
their  windows  ?  Surely  the  isles  shall  wait 
for  me,  and  the  ships  of  Tarshish  first,  to 
bring  thy  sons  from  far,  their  silver  and 
their  gold  with  them,  unto  the  name  of  the 
Lord  thy  God,  and  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel, 
because  He  hath  glorified  thee.  And  the 
sons  of  strangers  shall  build  up  thy  walls, 
and  their  kings  shall  minister  unto  thee  :  for 
in  my  wrath  I  smote  thee,  but  in  my  favor 
have  I  had  mercy  on  thee.  Therefore  thy 
gates  shall  be  open  continually  ;  they  shall 
not  be  shut  day  nor  night ;  that  men  may 
bring  unto  thee  the  forces  of  the  Gentiles, 
and  that  their  kings  may  be  brought.  For 
the  nation  and  kingdom  that  will  not  serve 
thee  shall  perish  :  yea,  those  nations  shall  be 
utterly  wasted.  The  glory  of  Lebanon  shall 
come  unto  thee,  the  fir-tree,  the  pine-tree, 
and  the  box  together,  to  beautify  the  place  of 
my  sanctuary ;  and  I  will  make  the  place  of 
my  feet  glorious.  The  sons  also  of  them  that 
afflicted  thee  shall  come  bending  unto  thee ; 
and  all  they  that  despised  thee  shall  bow 
themselves  down  at  the  soles  of  thy  feet ; 


212  THE  RESURRECTION 

and  they  shall  call  thee,    The  city  of   the 
Lord,  the  Zion  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 

"  Whereas  thou  hast  been  forsaken  and 
hated,  so  that  no  man  went  through  thee,  I 
will  make  thee  an  eternal  excellency,  a  joy 
of  many  generations.  Thou  shalt  alsa  suck 
the  milk  of  the  Gentiles,  and  shalt  suck  the 
breast  of  kings:  and  thou  shalt  know  that  I 
the  Lord  am  thy  Savior  and  thy  Redeemer, 
the  Mighty  One  of  Jacob.  For  brass  I  will 
bring  gold,  and  for  iron  I  will  bring  silver, 
and  for  wood  brass,  and  for  stones  iron:  I 
will  also  make  thy  officers  peace,  and  thine 
exactors  righteousness.  Violence  shall  110 
more  be  heard  in  thy  land,  wasting  nor  des- 
truction within  thy  borders;  but  thou  shalt 
call  thy  walls  Salvation,  and  thy  gates  Praise. 
The  sun  shall  bo  no  more  thy  light  by  day; 
neither  for  brightness  shall  the  moon  give 
light  unto  thee:  but  the  Lord  shall  be  unto  thee 
an  everlasting  light,  and  thy  God  thy  glory. 
Thy  sun  shall  no  more  go  down;  neither 
shall  thy  moon  withdraw  itself:  for  the  Lord 
shall  be  thine  everlasting  light,  and  the  days 
of  thy  mourning  shall  be  ended.  Thy  peo- 
ple also  shall  be  all  righteous:  they  shall 
inherit  the  land  for  ever,  the  branch  of  my 
planting,  the  work  of  my  hands,  that  I  may 
be  glorified.  A  little  one  shall  become  a 


AND  RESTORATION.  213 

thousand,  and  a  small  one  a  strong  nation:  I 
the  Lord  wil)  hasten  it  in  his  time." 

In  this  chapter  we  learn— First,  that  there 
is  a  city  to  be  built  in  the  last  days,  unto 
which,  not  only  Israel,  but  all  the  nations  of 
the  Gentiles,  are  to  flow;  and  the  nation  and 
kingdom  that  will  not  serve  the  city  shall 
perish  and  be  utterly  wasted.  Second,  we 
learn  that  the  name  of  that  city  is  Zion,  the 
city  of  the  Lord.  Third,  we  learn  that  it  is 
called  the  place  of  His  sanctuary,  and  the 
place  of  His  feet.  Fourth,  that  the  best  of 
timber,  consisting  of  fir,  pine,  and  boxwood, 
is  to  be  brought  in  great  plenty,  to  beautify 
the  place  of  His  sanctuary,  and  make  the 
place  of  His  feet  glorious.  Fifth,  the  precious 
metals  are  to  abound  in  such  plenty,  that 
gold  is  to  be  in  the  room  of  brass,  silver  in 
the  room  of  iron,  brass  in  the  room  of  wood, 
and  iron  in  the  room  of  stones.  Their 
officers  are  to  be  peace  officers,  and  their  ex* 
actors  righteous  exactors;  violence  is  no  more 
to  be  heard  in  the  land;  wasting  nor  destruc- 
tion within  their  borders.  Their  walls  are  to 
be  Salvation,  and  their  gates  Praise:  while 
the  glory  of  God,  in  the  midst  of  the  city, 
outshines  the  sun.  The  days  of  their  mourn- 
ing are  ended;  their  people  are  all  righteous, 
and  are  to  inherit  the  land  forever,  being  the 


214  THE  RESURBECTION 

branch  of  the  Lord's  planting,  thafc  He  may 
be  glorified.  A  little  one  shall  become  a 
strong  nation,  and  the  Lord  will  hasten  it  in 
His  time. 

The  Psalmist  David  has  told  us,  concern- 
ing the  time  of  the  building  of  this  city,  in 
his  one  hundred  and  second  Psalm,  from  the 
thirteenth  to  the  twenty-second  verse:  "Thou 
shalt  arise  and  have  mercy  upon  Zion  ;  for 
the  time  to  favor  her,  yea,  the  set  time,  is 
come.  For  Thy  servants  take  pleasure  in  her 
stones,  and  favor  the  dust  thereof.  So  the 
heathen  shall  fear  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and 
all  the  kings  of  the  earth  Thy  glory.  When 
the  Lord  shall  build  up  Zion,  He  shall  appear 
in  His  glory.  He  will  regard  the  prayer  of 
the  destitute,  and  not  despise  their  prayer. 
This  shall  be  written  for  the  generation  to 
come  :  and  the  people  which  shall  be  created 
shall  praise  the  Lord.  For  He  hath  looked 
down  from  the  height  of  His  sanctuary ; 
from  Heaven  did  the  Lord  behold  the  earth  ; 
to  hear  the  groaning  of  the  prisoner  ;  to  loose 
those  that  are  appointed  to  death  ;  to  declare 
the  name  of  the  Lord  in  Zion,  and  His  praise 
in  Jerusalem ;  when  the  people  are  gathered 
together,  and  the  kingdoms,  to  serve  the 
Lord." 

From  this  scripture  we  learn— First,  that 


AND  RESTORATION".  215 

there  is  a  set  time  to  build  up  Zion,  or  the  city 
of  which  Isaiah  speaks,  namely,  just  before 
the  second  coming  of  Christ ;  and  that  when 
this  city  is  built,  the  Lord  will  appear  in  His 
glory,  and  not  before.  So  from  this  we  af- 
firm, that  if  such  a  city  is  never  built,  then 
the  Lord  will  never  come.  Second,  we  learn 
that  the  people  and  kingdoms  are  to  be  gath- 
ered together,  to  serve  the  Lord,  both  in  Zion 
and  Jerusalem ;  and  third,  that  this  Psalm 
was  written  expressly  for  the  generation  to 
come,  and  the  people  which  shall  be  created 
shall  praise  the  Lord, -when  they  read  it  and 
see  it  fulfilled. 

I  will  now  call  the  attention  of  the  reader 
to  the  first  paragraph  of  the  sixth  chapter  of 
the  Record  of  Ether,  contained  in  the  Book 
of  Mormon:  "For  he  truly  told  them  of  all 
things  from  the  beginning  of  man  ;  and  how 
that  after  the  waters  had  receded  from  off 
the  face  of  this  land  (America),  it  became  a 
choice  land  above  all  other  lands,  a  chosen 
land  of  the  Lord,  wherefore,  the  Lord  would 
have  that  all  men  should  serve  Him  who 
dwell  upon  the  face  thereof ;  and  that  it  was 
the  place  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  which 
should  come  down  out  of  heaven,  and  the 
holy  sanctuary  of  the  Lord.  Behold,  Ether 
saw  the  days  of  Christ,  and  he  spake  con- 


216  THE  RESURRECTION 

cerning  a  New  Jerusalem  upon  this  land : 
and  he  spake  also  concerning  the  house  of 
Israel,  and  the  Jerusalem  from  whence  Lehi 
should  come  ;  after  it  should  be  destroyed,  it 
should  be  built  up  again  a  holy  city  unto  the 
Lord  j  wherefore,  it  could  not  be  a  New 
Jerusalem,  for  it  had  been  in  a  time  of  old  ; 
but  it  should  be  built  up  again,  and  become 
a  holy  city  of  the  Lord,  and  it  should  be 
built  up  unto  the  house  of  Israel ;  and  that 
a  New  Jerusalem  should  be  built  up  upon 
this  land,  unto  the  remnant  of  the  seed  of 
Joseph,  for  which  things  there  has  been  a 
type  ;  for  as  Joseph  brought  his  father  down 
into  the  land  of  Egypt,  even  so  he  died  there  ; 
wherefore,  the  Lord  brought  a  remnant  of 
the  seed  of  Joseph  out  of  the  land  of  Jerusa- 
lem, that  He  might  be  merciful  unto  the  seed 
of  Joseph,  that  they  should  perish  not,  even 
as  He  was  merciful  unto  the  father  of  Joseph, 
that  he  should  perish  not;  wherefore,  the 
remnant  of  the  house  of  Joseph  shall  be 
built  up  on  this  land,  and  it  shall  be  a  land 
of  their  inheritance ;  and  they  shall  build  up 
a  holy  city  unto  the  Lord,  like  unto  the 
Jerusalem  of  old,  and  they  shall  no  more  be 
confounded,  until  the  end  come,  when  the 
earth  shall  pass  away.  And  there  shall  be  a 
new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  and  they  shall 


AND  RESTORATION.  217 

be  like  unto  the  old,  save  the  old  have  passed 
away,  and  all  things  have  become  new.  And 
then  cometh  the  New  Jerusalem :  and  blessed 
are  they  who  dwell  therein,  for  it  is  they 
whose  garments  are  white  through  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb;  and  they  are  they  who  are 
numbered  among  the  remnant  of  the  seed  of 
Joseph  who  were  of  the  house  of  Israel. 
And  then  also  cometh  the  Jerusalem  of  old, 
and  the  inhabitants  thereof  ;  blessed  are  they 
for  they  have  been  washed  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb;  and  they  are  they  who  were  scat- 
tered and  gathered  in  from  the  four  quarters 
of  the  earth,  and  from  the  north  countries, 
and  are  partakers  of  the  fulfilling  of  the 
covenant  which  God  made  with  their  father 
Abraham.  And  when  these  things  come, 
bringetli  to  pass  the  Scripture  which  saith, 
"There  are  they  who  were  first,  who  shall  be 
last :  and  there  are  they  who  were  last,  who 
shall  be  first." 

From  this  prophecy  we  learn — First,  that 
America  is  a  chosen  land  of  the  Lord,  above 
every  other  land.  Second,  that  it  is  the  place 
of  the  New  Jerusalem,  which  shall  come 
down  from  God,  out  of  heaven,  upon  the 
earth,  when  it  is  renewed.  Third,  that  a 
New  Jerusalem  is  to  be  built  in  America,  to 
the  lemnant  of  Joseph,  after  a  similar  pat- 


213  THE  RESURRECTION 

tern,  or  like  unto  the  old  Jerusalem  in  the 
land  of  Canaan  ;  and  that  the  old  Jerusalem 
shall  be  rebuilt  at  the  same  time,  and,  this 
being  done,  both  cities  will  continue  in  pros- 
perity on  the  earth,  until  the  great  and  last 
change,  when  the  heavens  and  the  earth  are 
to  be  renewed.  Fourth,  we  learn  that  when 
this  change  takes  place,  the  two  cities,  to- 
gether with  the  inhabitants  thereof,  are  to  be 
caught  up  into  heaven,  and  being  changed 
and  made  new,  the  one  comes  down  upon 
the  American  land,  and  the  other  to  its  own 
place  as  formerly:  and,  fifth,  we  learn  that 
the  inhabitants  of  these  two  cities  are  the 
same  that  gathered  together  and  first  builded 
them.  The  remnant  of  Joseph,  and  those 
gathered  with  them,  inherit  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem. And  the  tribes  of  Israel,  gathered  from 
the  north  countries,  and  from  the  four  quar- 
ters of  the  earth,  inhabit  the  other  ;  and  thus 
all  things  being  made  new,  we  find  those  who 
were  once  strangers  and  pilgrims  on  THE 
EARTH,  in  possession  of  that  better  country, 
and  that  city,  for  which  they  sought. 

We  will  now  turn  to  John's  Revelation, 
and  examine  the  city  after  it  is  made  new, 
and  see  if  it  is  anything  like  the  pattern 
which  it  exhibited  previous  to  its  final  change, 
Rev.  xxi :  "And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a 


AND  RESTORATION,  219 

new  earth  :  for  the  first  heaven  and  the  first 
earth  were  passed  away ;  and  there  was  no 
more  sea.  And  I,  John,  saw  the  holy  city, 
New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God  out 
of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for 
her  husband.  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out 
of  heaven,  saying,  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of 
God  is  with  men,  and  He  will  dwell  with 
them,  and  they  shall  be  His  people,  and  God 
himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  be  their  God. 
And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from 
their  eyes ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death, 
neither  sorrow,  nor  crying,  neither  shall 
there  be  any  more  pain :  for  the  former 
things  are  passed  away.  And  He  that  sat  up- 
on the  throne  said,  Behold,  I  make  all  things 
new.  And  He  said  unto  me,  Write,  for  these 
words  are  true  and  faithful.  And  He  said 
unto  me,  It  is  done.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega, 
the  beginning  and  the  end.  I  will  give  unto 
him  that  is  athirst,  of  the  fountain  of  the  water 
of  life  freely.  He  that  overcometh  shall  in- 
herit all  things  ;  and  I  will  be  his  God,  and 
he  shall  be  my  son.  But  the  fearful,  and 
unbelieving,  and  the  abominable,  and  mur- 
derers, and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers, 
and  idolaters,  and  all  liars,  shall  have  their 
part  in  the  lake  which  burneth  with  fire  and 
brimstone :  which  is  the  second  death, 


220  THE  RESURRECTION 

"And  there  came  unto  me  one  of  the  seven 
angels  which  had  the  seven  vials  full  of  the 
seven  last  plagues,  and  talked  with  me,  say- 
ing, Come  hither,  I  will  show  thee  the  bride, 
the  Lamb's  wife.  And  he  carried  me  away 
in  the  spirit  to  a  great  and  high  mountain, 
and  showed  me  that  great  city,  the  holy  Jeru- 
salem, descending  out  of  heaven  from  God, 
having  the  glory  of  God  :  and  her  light  was 
like  unto  a  stone  most  precious,  even  like  a 
jasper  stone,  clear  as  crystal ;  and  had  a  wall 
great  and  high,  and  had  twelve  gates,  and  at 
the  gates,  twelve  angels,  and  names  written 
thereon,  which  are  the  names  of  the  twelve 
tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel.  On  the  east, 
three  gates  ;  on  the  north,  three  gates  ;  on 
the  south,  three  gates ;  on  the  west,  three 
gates.  And  the  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve 
foundations,  and  in  them  the  names  of  the 
twelve  Apostles  of  the  Lamb.  And  he  that 
talked  with  me  had  a  golden  reed  to  measure 
the  city,  and  the  gates  thereof,  and  the  wall 
thereof.  And  the  city  lieth  four  square,  and 
the  length  is  as  large  as  the  breadth.  And 
he  measured  the  city  with  the  reed,  twelve 
thousand  furlongs :  the  length  and  the  breadth 
and  the  height  of  it  are  equal.  And  he 
measured  the  wall  thereof,  an  hundred  and 
forty  and  four  cubits,  according  to  the  meas- 


AND  KESTORATION.  221 

ure  of  a  man,  that  is,  of  the  angel.  And  the 
building  of  the  wall  of  it  was  of  jasper:  and 
the  city  was  of  pure  gold,  like  unto  clear 
glass.  And  the  foundations  of  the  wall  of 
the  city  were  garnished  with  all  manner  of 
precious  stones.  The  first  foundation  was 
jasper;  the  second,  sapphire;  the  third,  a 
chalcedony;  the  fourth,  an  emerald;  the  fifth, 
sardonyx;  the  sixth,  sardius;  the  seventh, 
chrysolyte;  the  eighth,  beryl;  the  ninth, 
a  topaz;  the  tenth,  a  chrysoprasus;  the 
eleventh,  a  jacinth;  the  twelfth,  an  ame- 
thyst. And  the  twelve  gates  were  twelve 
pearls;  every  several  gate  was  of  one  pearl: 
and  the  street  of  the  city  was  pure  gold, 
as  it  were  transparent  glass.  And  I  saw  no 
temple  therein:  for  the  Lord  God  Almighty 
and  the  Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it.  And  the 
city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the 
moon,  to  shine  in  it;  for  the  glory  of  God  did 
lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof. 
And  the  nations  of  them  which  are  saved 
shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it;  and  the  kings 
of  the  earth  do  bring  their  glory  and  honor 
into  it.  And  the  gates  of  it  shall  not  be  shut 
at  all  by  day;  for  there  shall  be  no  night 
there.  And  they  shall  bring  the  glory  and 
honor  of  the  nations  into  it.  And  there  shall 
in  no  wise  enter  into  it  anything  that  defileth, 


222  THE  RESURRECTION 

neither  whatsoever  worketh  abomination,  or 
maketh  a  lie;  but  they  which  are  written  in 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life."  Also,  twenty- 
second  chapter,  he  says:  "And  He  showed 
me  a  pure  river  of  water  of  life,  clear  as 
crystal,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God 
and  of  the  Lamb.  In  the  midst  of  the  street 
of  it,  and  on  either  side  of  the  river,  was 
there  the  tree  of  life,  which  bare  twelve  man- 
ner of  fruits,  and  yielded  her  fruit  every 
month:  and  the  leaves  of  the  tree  were  for 
the  healing  of  the  nations.  And  there  shall 
be  no  more  curse:  but  the  throne  of  God 
and  of  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it;  and  His  ser- 
vants shall  serve  Him.  And  they  shall  see 
His  face;  and  His  name  shall  be  in  their  fore- 
heads. And  there  shall  be  no  night  there; 
and  they  need  no  candle,  neither  light  of  the 
sun;  for  the  Lord  God  giveth  them  light: 
and  they  shall  reign  forever  and  ever.  And 
He  said  unto  me,  These  sayings  are  faithful 
and  true:  and  the  Lord  God  of  the  holy  pro- 
phets sent  His  angel  to  show  unto  His  ser- 
vants the  things  which  must  shortly  be  done. 
Bohold,  I  como  quickly:  blessed  is  he  that 
keepeth  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this 
book." 

From  this  beautiful  description,  we  learn- 
First,  that  the  new  earth  is  not  to  be  sepa- 


AND  RESTORATION.  223 

rated  by  any  sea,  consequently,  what  is  now 
called  the  Eastern  and  Western  Continents 
will  then  be  one  land.  Secondly,  we  learn 
that  the  Lord  will  make  not  only  the 
heavens  and  earth,  but  all  things  new  (in- 
cluding of  course,  the  cities  of  Jerusalem  and 
Zion,  where  His  tabernacle  will  have  been  for 
more  than  a  thousand  years).  Thirdly,  we 
learn  that  the  city  will  lie  four  square,  and 
have  twelve  gates,  with  the  names  of  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  inserted,  one  on  each 
gate;  three  gates  on  the  north,  three  on  the 
south,  three  on  the  east,  and  three  on  the 
Vest;  precisely  after  the  same  manner  in 
which  it  will  exist  temporally  during  the 
thousand  years,  as  described  by  Ezekiel. 
Fourthly,  we  learn  that  it  will  bo  composed 
of  precious  stones,  and  gold,  as  the  temporal 
city  also  will  be,  as  described  by  Isaiah. 
Fifthly,  a  pure  river  of  the  water  of  life,  clear 
as  crystal,  will  flow  through  this  renewed 
city,  proceeding  from  the  tkrone  of  God,  just 
as  living  waters  will  flow  from  the  sanctuary 
in  the  temporal  city,  as  described  by  Ezekiel. 
Sixthly,  the  tree  of  life  will  stand  on  either 
side  of  the  river,  even  the  tree  which  will 
have  once  borne  twelve  manner  of  fruits, 
and  have  yielded  its  fruit  every  month,  its 
leaves  having  been  for  the  healing  of  3tho 


224  THE  RESURRECTION 

nations.  Bat  now,  when  John  sees  it,  the 
nations  have  no  need  of  healing,  for  there  is 
no  more  death,  neither  pain,  nor  sorrow,  for 
the  former  things  have  passed  away,  and  all 
things  are  become  new,  consequently,  he 
speaks  in  the  past  tense,  and  says  they  were 
for  the  healing  of  the  nations;  of  course,  re- 
ferring to  the  times  when  they  existed  tem- 
porally, according  to  Ezekiel,  before  their 
final  change. 

Now,  of  the  things  which  we  have  spoken 
this  is  the  sum:  Ezekiel  and  the  other  Pro- 
phets have  presented  us  with  the  view  of  the 
cities  of  Zion  and  Jerusalem,  as  they  will  exist 
during  the  one  thousand  years  of  rest  called 
the  Millennium;  and  John  has  given  us  a 
view  of  the  same  cities,  after  their  final 
change,  when  they  come  down  from  God  out 
of  heaven,  and  rest  upon  the  new  earth.  But 
Ether  has  given  us  a  sketch  of  them  as  they 
are  to  exist,  both  in  their  temporal  and  in 
their  eternal  state:  and  he  has  told  us  plainly 
concerning  their  location,  first  and  last, 
namely,  the  New  Jerusalem,  in  America,  in- 
habited by  the  remnant  of  Joseph,  and  those 
gathered  with  them,  who  have  washed  their 
robes,  and  made  them  white,  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb:  and  the  other  Jerusalem,  in  its 
former  place,  inhabited  byjthe  house  of  Is- 


AND  RESTORATION.  225 

rael  gathered  from  the  north  countries,  and 
from  all  countries  where  they  were  scattered, 
having  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them 
white,  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  And  here 
is  the  end  of  the  matter. 

I  would  only  add,  that  the  government  of 
the  United  States  has  been  engaged,  for  up- 
wards of  nine  years,  in  gathering  the  rem- 
nant of  Joseph  to  the  very  place  where  they 
will  finally  build  a  New  Jerusalem,  a  city  of 
Zion,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Gentiles,  who 
will  gather  them  from  all  the  face  of  the  land: 
and  this  gathering  is  clearly  predicted  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  and  other  revelations,  and 
the  place  before  appointed,  and  the  time  set 
for  its  fulfilment.  And  except  the  Gentiles 
repent  of  all  their  abominations,  and  em- 
brace the  same  covenant,  they  will  soon  be 
utterly  destroyed  from  off'  the  face  of  this 
land;  as  it  is  written  by  Isaiah:  "The  na- 
tion and  kingdom  that  will  not  serve  thee 
shall  perish.  Yea,  those  nations  shall  be  ut- 
terly wasted."  And  as  it  is  written  by  the 
Prophet  Nephi  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  (n. 
e.),  3  Nephi,  xxi: 

4 'And,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  I  give  unto 
you  a  sign,  that  ye  may  know  the  time 
when  these  things  shall  be  about  to  take 

place,  that  I  shall  gather  in  from  their  long 
15 


226  THE  RESURRECTION 

dispersion,  my  people,  O  house  of  Israel, 
and  shall  establish  again  among  them  my 
Zion. 

"And  behold,  this  is  the  thing  which  I  will 
give  unto  you  for  a  sign,  for  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  that  when  these  things  which  I  declare 
unto  you,  and  which  I  shall  declare  unto  you 
hereafter  of  myself,  and  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  which  shall  be  given  unto  you 
of  the  Father,  shall  be  made  known  unto  the 
Gentiles,  that  they  may  know  concerning 
this  people  who  are  a  remnant  of  the  house 
of  Jacob,  and  concerning  this  my  people 
who  shall  be  scattered  by  them. 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  when  these 
things  shall  be  made  known  unto  them  of 
the  Father,  and  shall  come  forth  of  the 
.Father,  from  them  unto  you; 

"For  it  is  wisdom  in  the  Father  that 
they  should  be  established  in  this  land,  and 
be  set  up  as  a  free  people  by  the  power  of  the 
Father,  that  these  things  might  come  forth 
from  them  unto  a  remnant  of  your  seed,  that 
the  covenant  of  the  Father  may  be  fulfilled 
which  He  hath  covenanted  with  His  people, 
O  house  of  Israel ; 

"Therefore,  when  these  works,  and  tho 
works  which  shall  be  wrought  among  you 
hereafter,  shall  come  forth  from  the  Gentiles, 


AND  RESTORATION.  227 

unto  your  seed,  which  shall  dwindle  in  un- 
belief because  of  iniquity; 

"For  thus  it  behoveth  the  Father  that  it 
should  conie  forth  from  the  Gentiles,  that  He 
may  shew  forth  His  power  unto  the  Gentiles, 
for  this  cause,  that  the  Gentiles,  if  they  will 
not  harden  their  hearts,  that  they  may  repent 
and  come  unto  me,  and  be  baptized  in  my 
name,  and  know  of  the  true  points  of  my 
doctrine,  that  they  may  be  numbered  among 
my  people,  O  house  of  Israel  ; 

"And  when  these  things  come  to  pass,  that 
thy  seed  shall  begin  to  know  these  things,  it 
shall  be  a  sign  unto  them,  that  they  may 
know  that  the  work  of  the  Father  hath  al- 
ready commenced  unto  the  fulfilling  of  the 
covenant  which  He  hath  made  unto  the 
people  who  are  of  the  house  of  Israel. 

"And  when  that  day  shall  come,  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  kings  shall  shut  their 
mouths;  for  that  which  had  not  been  told 
them  shall  they  see ;  and  that  which  they  had 
not  heard  shall  they  consider. 

"For  in  that  day,  for  my  sake  shall  the 
Father  work  a  work,  which  shall  be  a  great 
and  marvellous  work  among  them ;  and 
there  shall  be  among  them  who  will  not 
believe  it,  although  a  man  shall  declare  it 
unto  them. 


228  THE   RESURRECTION 

"But  behold,  the  life  of  my  servant  shall 
be  in  my  hand  ;  therefore  they  shall  not  hurt 
him,  although  he  shall  be  marred  because  of 
them.  Yet  I  will  heal  him,  for  I  will  shew 
unto  them  that  my  wisdom  is  greater  than 
the  cunning  of  the  devil. 

"Therefore  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  wtib- 
soever  will  not  believe  in  my  words,  who  am 
Jesus  Christ,  whom  the  Father  shall  cause 
him  to  bring  forth  unto  the  Gentiles,  and 
shall  give  unto  him  power  that  he  shall 
bring  them  forth  unto  the  Gentiles  ( it  shall 
be  done  even  as  Moses  said),  they  shall  be 
cut  off  from  among  my  people  who  are  of 
the  covenant. 

"And  my  people  who  are  a  remnant  of 
Jacob,  shall  be  among  the  Gentiles,  yea,  in 
the  midst  of  them  as  a  lion  among  the  beasts 
of  the  forest,  as  a  young  lion  among  the 
flocks  of  sheep,  who,  if  he  go  through  both 
treadeth  down  and  teareth  in  pieces,  and 
none  can  deliver. 

"Their  hand  shall  be  lifted  up  upon  their  ad- 
versaries, and  all  their  enemies  shall  be  cut  off. 

"Yea.  wo  be  unto  the  Gentiles,  except  they 
repent,  for  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 
saith  the  Father,  that  I  will  cut  off  thy  horses 
out  of  the  midst  of  thee,  and  I  will  destroy 
thy  chariots, 


AND  RESTORATION.  229 

"And  I  will  cut  off  the  cities  of  thy  land, 
and  throw  down  all  thy  strongholds  ; 

"And  I  will  cut  off  witchcrafts  out  of  thy 
hand,  and  thou  shalt  have  no  more  sooth- 
sayers ; 

"Thy  graven  images  I  will  also  cut  off,  and 
thy  standing  images  out  of  the  midst  of  thee, 
and  thou  shalt  no  more  worship  the  works 
of  thy  hands ; 

"And  I  will  pluck  up  thy  groves  out  of  the 
midst  of  thee  ;  so  will  I  destroy  thy  cities. 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  all  lyings, 
and  deceivings,  and  envyings,  and  strifes, 
and  priestcrafts,  and  whoredoms,  shall  be 
done  away. 

"For  it  shall  come  to  pass,  saith  the  Father, 
that  at  that  day  whosoever  will  not  repent  and 
come  unto  my  beloved  Son,  them  will  I  cut 
off  from  among  my  people,  O  house  of  Israel; 

"And  I  will  execute  vengeance  and  fury 
upon  them,  even  as  upon  the  heathen,  such 
as  they  have  not  heard. 

"But  if  they  will  repent,  and  hearken  unto 
my  words,  and  harden  not  their  hearts,  I 
will  establish  my  Church  among  them,  and 
they  shall  come  in  unto  the  covenant,  and 
be  numbered  among  this  the  remnant  of 
Jacob,  unto  whom  I  have  given  this  land  for 
their  inheritance, 


230  THE  RESURRECTION 

"And  they  shall  assist  my  people,  the 
remnant  of  Jacob,  and  also,  as  many  of  the 
house  of  Israel  as  shall  come,  that  they  may 
build  a  city,  which  shall  be  called  the  New 
Jerusalem  ; 

"And  then  shall  they  assist  my  people  that 
they  may  be  gathered  in,  who  are  scattered 
upon  all  the  face  of  the  land,  in  unto  the 
New  Jerusalem, 

"And  then  shall  the  power  of  heaven  come 
down  among  them ;  and  I  also  will  be  in  the 
midst; 

"And  then  shall  the  work  of  the  Father 
commence  at  that  day,'even  when  this  Gospel 
shall  be  preached  among  the  remnant  of  this 
people.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  at  that  day 
shall  the  work  of  the  Father  commence 
among  all  the  dispersed  of  my  people ;  yea, 
even  the  tribes  which  have  been  lost,  which 
the  Father  hath  led  away  out  of  Jerusalem. 

"Yea,  the  work  shall  commence  among  all 
the  dispersed  of  my  people,  with  the  Father, 
to  prepare  the  way  whereby  they  may  come 
unto  me,  that  they  may  call  on  the  Father 
in  my  name ; 

"Yea,  and  then  shall  the  work  commence, 
with  the  Father,  among  all  nations,  in  pre- 
paring the  way  whereby  His  people  may  be 
gathered  home  to  the  land  of  their  inheritance 


AND  RESTORATION.  231 

"And  they  shall  go  out  from  all  nations ; 
and  they  shall  not  go  out  in  haste,  nor  go  by 
flight,  for  I  will  go  before  them,  saith  the 
Father,  and  I  will  be  their  rearward." 

O  ye  remnant  of  Joseph,  your  secret  is 
revealed,  ye  who  are  despised,  smitten,  scat- 
tered, and  driven  by  the  Gentiles  from  place 
to  place,  until  you  are  left  few  in  number! 
"O  thou  afflicted,  tossed  with  tempest  and 
not  comforted,"  lift  up  your  heads  and  re- 
joice, for  your  redemption  draweth  nigh: 
yea,  we  have  found  your  record,  the  oracles 
of  God  once  committed  to  your  forefathers, 
which  have  been  hidden  from  you  for  a  long 
time,  because  of  unbelief.  Behold!  they  are 
about  to  be  restored  to  you  again  ;  then  shall 
you  rejoice;  for  you  shall  know  that  it  is  a 
blessing  from,  the  hand  of  God;  and  the 
scales  of  darkness  shall  begin  to  fall  from 
your  eyes;  and  the  Gentiles  shall  not  again 
have  power  over  you;  but  you  shall  be  gath- 
ered by  them,  and  be  built  up,  and  again  be- 
come a  delightsome  people;  and  the  time  has 
come;  yea,  the  work  has  already  commenced; 
for  we  have  seen  you  gathered  together,  from 
all  parts  of  the  land,  unto  the  place  which 
God  has  appointed  for  the  Gentiles  to  gather 
you;  therefore  lay  down  your  weapons  of 
war,  cease  to  oppose  the  Gentiles  in  the  gath- 


232  THE  RESURRECTION 

ering  of  your  various  tribes,  for  the  hand  01 
your  great  God  is  in  all  this,  and  it  was  all  fore- 
told by  your  forefathers ,  ten  thousand  moons 
ago.  Therefore  suffer  them  peaceably  to  ful- 
fil this  last  act  of  kindness,  as  a  kind  reward 
for  the  injuries  you  have  received  from  them. 
It  is  with  mingled  feelings  of  joy  and  sor- 
row that  I  reflect  upon  these  things.  Sorrow, 
when  I  think  h  ow  you  have  been  smitten ;  joy, 
when  I  reflect  upon  the  happy  change  that 
now  awaits  you;  and  sorrow  again,  when  I 
turn  my  thoughts  to  the  awful  destruction 
that  awaits  the  Gentiles,  except  they  repent. 
But  the  eternal  purposes  of  Jehovah  must  roll 
on,  until  all  His  promises  are  fulfilled,  and 
none  can  hinder;  therefore,  O  God,  Thy  will 
be  done!  But  while  I  still  linger  upon  this 
subject,  with  feelings  that  are  easier  felt  than 
described,  methinks  I  can  almost  hear  the 
Indian's  mournful  chant  resounding  through 
his  native  woods.  It  whispers  thus: 

Great  Spirit  of  our  fathers,  lend  an  ear; 

Pity  the  red  man,  to  his  cries  give  ear; 

Long  hast  Thou  scourged  him  with  Thy  chastening 

sore; 
When  will  Thy  vengeance  cease,  Thy  wrath  be  o'er? 

When  will  the  white  man's  dire  ambition  cease, 
And  let  our  scattered  remnants  dwell  in  peace? 


AND  RESTORATION.  233 

Or  shall  we,  driven  to  the  western  shore, 
Become  extinct,  and  fall  to  rise  no  more? 

Forbid,  great  Spirit!  make  Thy  mercy  known; 
Reveal  Thy  truth;  Thy  wandering  captives  own; 
Make  bare  Thine  arm  of  power,  for  our  release, 
And  o'er  the  earth  extend  the  reign  of  peace. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    DEALINGS  OF  GOD  WITH    ALL  NATIONS, 
IN  REGARD  TO   REVELATION. 

"And  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men 
for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  hath  de- 
termined the  times  before  appointed,  and  the  bounds 
of  their  habitation;  that  they  should  seek  the  Lord, 
if  haply  they  might  feel  after  Him,  and  find  Him, 
though  He  be  not  far  from  every  one  of  us;  for  in 
Him  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being." — 
ACTS,  xvii,  26—28. 

IN  this  text  we  learn — First,  that  all  nations 
are  made  of  one  blood.  Secondly,  they  are 
designed  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  ear-th 
(America  not  excepted).  Thirdly,  that  the 


234  THE  DEALINGS  OF  GOD. 

Lord  has  determined  the  bounds  of  their 
habitation,  that  is,  He  has  divided  the  earth 
among  His  children,  giving  each  nation  that 
portion  which  seemed  Him  good — for  in- 
stance the  land  of  Canaan,  to  Israel;  Mount 
Seir,  to  Esau;  Arabia,  to  Ishmael;  America, 
to  the  remnant  of  Joseph,  etc.,  as  a  father 
parcels  off  a  large  tract  of  land  to  his  several 
children.  And  fourthly,  He  has  granted 
unto  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  the  privilege 
of  feeling  after  Him  and  finding  Him;  since 
.He  is  not  so  very  far  from  every  one  of  them, 
whether  they  be  in  Asia,  Africa,  Europe, 
America,  or  even  upon  the  islands  of  the  sea. 
Now,  if  any  nation,  in  any  age  of  the  world,  or 
in  any  part  of  the  earth,  should  happen  to  live 
up  to  their  privilege,  what  would  they  ob- 
tain? I  answer,  revelation,  for  the  best  of 
reasons,  because  no  people  ever  found  God 
in  any  other  way,  nor  ever  will.  Therefore, 
if  they  found  God,  they  found  Him  by  reve- 
lation, direct  from  Himself,  He  revealing  His 
will  to  them;  and  if  they  did  not  find  Him 
in  this  way,  they  never  knew  Him.  And  if 
they  did  obtain  revelation,  it  was  their  privi- 
lege to  write  it,  and  make  a  record  of  the 
game,  and  teach  it  to  their  children  ;  and 
this  record  would  be  sacred,  because  it  would 
contain  the  word  of  God;  and  thus  it  would 


THE  DEALINGS  OF  GOD.  235 

be  a  HOLY  BIBLE,  no  matter  whether  it  was 
written  by  the  Jews,  the  Ten  Tribes,  the  Ne- 
phites,  or  the  Gentiles.  I  would  just  as  soon 
have  the  Gospel  written  by  Nephi,  Mormon, 
Moroni  or  Alma,  as  the  Gospel  written  by 
Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  or  John.  Again,  I 
would  just  as  soon  believe  a  revelation  given 
in  America,  as  believe  a  revelation  given  in 
Asia;  for  if  ever  a  nation  failed  to  get  a  rev- 
elation, it  was  because  they  did  not  attain 
unto  that  which  was  their  privilege.  But 
why,  then,  was  any  nation  ever  left  in  dark- 
ness, from  age  to  age,  without  the  light  of 
revelation  to  guide  them?  I  answer,  because 
their  forefathers,  in  some  age  of  the  world, 
rejected  revelation,  cast  out  and  killed  tho 
Prophets,  and  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  things 
of  God,  until  God  took  away  that  which  they 
enjoyed,  and  committed  it  to  some  other 
people,  and  left  them  from  generation  to 
generation  to  grow  up  in  ignorance,  until  He 
should  see  fit  again  to  send  His  light  and 
truth  to  that  nation;  but  those  who  reject  no 
light  are  under  no  -condemnation,  and  the 
mercy  of  God  hath  claim  upon  them,  through 
the  blood  of  Christ  which  atoneth  for  the 
sins  of  the  world.  The  heathen  who  never 
had  the  light  of  revelation  will  be  saved  by 
the  blood  of  Christ;  while  their  forefathers 


236  THE  DEALINGS  OF  GOD. 

who  rejected  the  light  are  condemned,  for 
this  is  their  condemnation,  that  when  light 
came  they  rejected  it. 

Now  on  this  subject,  let  us  examine  the 
history  of  various  ages.  In  the  morn  of 
creation,  men  had  light  by  direct  revelation, 
for  Adam,  Cain  and  Abel"  talked  with  the 
Lord.  In  the  next  age,  men  had  light  by 
revelation,  for  Enoch  walked  with  the  Lord, 
and  not  only  saw  the  first  coming  of  Christ, 
but  His  second  coming  also,  and  he  ex- 
claimed: "Behold,  the  Lord  cometh  with  ten 
thousand  of  His  saints,  to  take  vengeance  on 
the  ungodly,"  etc.,  as  it  is  written  in  Jude. 
From  which  it  appears  that  Enoch  knew  and 
prophesied  concerning  the  Messiah,  with  all 
the  plainness  of  an  Apostle.  Again,  in. 
Noah's  day  there  was  positive  revelation. 
And  all  these  were  Gentiles,  or,  rather,  the 
word  Israel  had  not  yet  been  named  upon 
Jacob  by  the  angel.  Now,  if  it  was  the  priv- 
ilege of  so  many  Gentiles  to  get  the  word  of 
the  Lord,  and  to  have  the  knowledge  of  the 
true  God  by  revelation,  it  was  the  privilege 
of  all  the  rest;  and  if  any  ran  into  darkness 
and  worshiped  idols,  until  God  gave  them 
over  to  work  all  unclean  ness  with  greedi- 
ness, and  finally  took  the  oracles  of  God 
from  them,  and  confined  them  more  particu 


DEALINGS   OF  GOD.  237 

larly  to  Abraham,  it  was  because  they  had 
for  a  long  time  rejected  them,  and  rendered 
themselves  unworthy  of  them;  so  that  from 
the  days  of  Israel  the  oracles  of  God  seemed 
to  pertain  more  particularly  to  the  chosen 
seed,  chosen  for  that  very  purpose,  namely, 
that  to  them  might  be  corrunitted  the  oracles 
of  God,  the  Priesthood,  the  service  of  God, 
and  the  promises  which  had  been  in  exist- 
ence from  the  beginning,  among  the  Gen- 
tiles, who  had  long  rendered  themselves 
unworthy  of  such  blessings. 

But  in  process  of  time  Israel  rendered 
themselves  unworthy  of  a  continuance  o* 
such  blessings,  by  stoning  and  killing  the 
Prophets,  and  rejecting  the  Messiah,  and  all 
those  that  God  sent  unto  them,  until  at 
length  the  Lord  took  the  kingdom  from  them 
as  a  nation,  and  gave  it  again  to  the  Gentiles; 
in  the  meantime  winking  at  all  the  ignorance 
through  which  the  Gentiles  had  passed,  from 
the  time  the  kingdom  had  been  taken  from 
them  until  restored  again.  But  as  soon  as 
the  kingdom  of  God  was  restored  again  to 
the  Gentiles,  He  commanded  them  all  every- 
where to  repent,  and  then  if  they  did  not  do 
it  they  were  under  condemnation,  but  not 
before.  But  no  sooner  was  the  kingdom 
taken  from  the  Jews,  than  the  fruits  of  it  dis- 


238  THE  DEALINGS  OF  GOD. 

appeared  from  among  them,  and  they  were 
dispersed  into  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  t 
where  they  have  never  again  heard  the  voice 
of  inspiration  commanding  them  to  repent. 
And  if  any  Gentile  has  commanded  them  to 
repent  and  be  baptized  (in  the  name  of  the 
Lord),  without  toeing  inspired  and  com- 
manded to  do  it,  it  was  an  imposition  prac- 
tised upon  them.  Not  that  repentance  was 
any  harm,  but  the  imposition  consisted  in 
professing  to  be  sent  with  a  message  when 
they  were  not,  for  when  God  commands  men 
to  repent,  He  sends  somebody  with  the  com- 
mand, in  order  that  they  may  teach  it  to 
those  for  whom  He  designs  it;  and  when  He 
does  not  command  them  to  do  a  thing,  He 
does  not  require  it  at  their  hand.  Any  man 
who  says  that  the  Jews,  as  a  nation,  have 
been  commanded  to  repent  and  be  baptized, 
for  the  last  seventeen  hundred  years,  says 
that  which  he  cannot  prove,  unless  he  can 
prove  that  there  has  been  a  new  revela- 
tion within  that  time,  commissioning  some 
mail  to  go  to  them  with  such  an  errand; 
neither  will  any  generation  of  Jews,  which 
have  existed  since  inspiration  ceased,  be 
condemned  for  rejecting  any  message  from 
God,  for  He  has  sent  no  message  to  them, 
consequently  they  have  rejected  none; 


THE  DEALINGS  OF  GOD.  239 

but  their  forefathers,  who  did  reject  the 
things  of  God,  are  under  condemnation. 

Again,  when  men  were  sent  with  the  Gos- 
pel to  the  Gentiles,  they  were  commanded  to 
repent;  and  this  command  was  in  force, 
whenever  men  came  preaching,  who  were 
sent  by  proper  authority,  and  inspired  by 
the  Holy  Ghost;  but  when  they  had  killed 
the  Apostles  and  inspired  men,  and  abused 
their  privileges,  until  God  took  them  away, 
and  left  them  without  inspiration,  then  the 
sin  was  answered  upon  that  generation ;  and 
those  who  have  since  come  upon  the  stage  of 
action  have  never  been  commanded  to  repent 
and  be  baptized  (except  by  some  new  revela- 
tion), and  any  man  who  says  that  God  has 
commanded  a  Gentile  to  repent  and  obey  the 
Gospel  since  the  days  that  inspiration  ceased, 
or  since  the  days  that  Apostles  and  Prophets 
ceased  from  among  men,  says  that  which  he 
will  not  be  able  to  prove,  unless  he  proves 
that  some  revelation  has  been  given  since 
that  time,  again  commissioning  men  to  go  to 
the  Gentiles  with  such  an  errand. 

The  fact  is,  God  requires  nothing  more  of 
ft  generation  than  to  do  those  things  which 
He  commands  them,  and  a  generation  to 
whom  He  reveals  nothing,  or  to  whom  He 
does  not  send  men  with  a  message  from  Him, 


240  THE  DEALINGS  OP  GOD. 

have  no  message  to  obey,  and  none  to  reject, 
and  consequently  nothing  is  binding  on 
them,  except  the  moral  principles  of  right 
and  wrong,  which  are  equally  binding  on  all 
ages  of  the  world,  according  to  the  knowl- 
edge people  have  of  moral  rectitude. 

But  in  these  last  days  God  has  again  spoken 
from  the  heavens,  and  commissioned  men  to 
go,  first  to  the  Gentiles,  commanding  them 
everywhere  to  repent  and  obey  the  Gospel ; 
and  then  He  has  commanded  them  to  go  to 
the  Jews  also,  and  command  them  to  repent, 
and  obey  the  Gospel ;  thus  restoring  again 
that  which  has  been  so  long  lost  from  the 
earth.  And  wherever  their  voices  shall  be 
heard  issuing  this  proclamation,  in  the  name 
of  Jesus,  according  as  He  has  commanded 
them,  then  and  there  the  people  are  under 
obligation  to  repent  and  be  baptized.  And 
he  that  repents  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved;  and  he  that  does  not  believe  their 
testimony,  and  repent  and  be  baptized,  shall 
be  damned,  for  this  plain  reason,  because 
God  has  sent  them,  by  revelation,  with  this 
very  errand,  to  this  very  generation,  and  they 
who  reject  the  least  of  God's  ambassadors 
reject  Him  that  sent  him,  and  therefore 
they  are  under  condemnation  from  that  time 
forth.  But  the  message  which  God  has  sent 


THE  DEALINGS  OF  GOD.  241 

these  men  with,  is  binding  only  on  the  gen- 
eration to  whom  it  is  sent,  and  is  not  binding 
at  all  upon  those  who  are  dead  and  gone 
before  it  came ;  neither  will  it  be  binding  on 
any  generation  which  shall  come  after, 
unless  God  should  raise  up  men  and  send 
unto  them  with  the  same  Gospel,  and  then 
that  generation  to  whom  He  sends  them, 
will  be  saved  or  damned,  according  as  they 
receive  or  reject  their  testimony. 

People  frequently  ask  this  question — "If 
God  nas  sent  men  with  certain  truths  which 
are  binding  on  the  people,  and  without  which 
they  cannot  be  saved,  what  will  become  of 
the  good  people  who  have  died  before  the 
message  came?  "  I  answer,  if  they  obey  the 
message  which  God  sent  to  their  own  genera- 
tion, they  will  be  saved;  but  if  not,  they 
will  be  damned:  but  if  God  sent  no  message 
to  that  generation,  then  they  rejected  none, 
and,  consequently,  are  under  no  condemna- 
tion; and  they  will  rise  up  in  judgment 
against  this  generation,  and  condemn  it ;  for 
if  they  had  received  the  same  blessings 
which  are  now  offered  to  us,  they  would  no 
doubt  have  received  them  gladly.  The  prin- 
ciple of  condemnation,  in  all  ages  of  the 
world,  is  no  other  than  rejecting  the  very 
message  which  God  sends  to  them  while 


242  THE   DEALINGS  OF  GOD. 

they  pretend  to  cleave  closely  to  that  which 
He  has  sent  in  former  ages. 

Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypo- 
crites! ye  garnish  the  sepulchres  of  the 
Prophets,  and  say:  "If  we  had  lived  in  the 
days  of  our  fathers,  we  would  not  have 
stoned  and  killed  the  Prophets  as  they  did." 
But  ye  yourselves  are  witnesses,  that  you 
allow  the  deeds  of  your  fathers ;  for  they 
killed  the  Prophets,  and  you  build  their 
sepulchres.  This  was  the  testimony  of  the 
Savior  to  the  Jews,  who  were  pretending  to 
stand  stiffly  for  their  former  Prophets,  and 
at  the  same  time  rejecting  Jesus  and  His 
Apostles.  And  so  it  is  now  in  the  nineteenth 
century.  You  Christians  (so  called)  garnish 
the  tombs  of  the  Messiah  and  His  former 
Apostles,  and  even  build  fine  chapels  to  their 
memory,  entitling  them  Saint  Peter's  Church, 
Saint  Paul's  Church,  Saint  John's  Church, 
etc.;  and  you  say:  "If  we  had  lived  in  the 
days  of  the  Apostles,  we  would  not  have 
stoned  and  killed  them."  But  ye  yourselves 
are  witnesses,  that  ye  allow  the  deeds  of 
your  fathers:  for  they  killed  the  Apostles, 
and  you  build  chapels  in  honor  of  them; 
while  at  the  same  time,  if  a  Prophet  or  an 
Apostle  comes  among  you,  you  will  forth- 
with shut  your  houses  against  him,  as  soon 


THE  DEALINGS  OP  GOD.  243 

as  he  testifies  of  what  God  has  sent  him  to 
testify,  for  you  say  there  are  to  be  no  more 
Prophets  or  Apostles  on  the  earth,  and  you 
forthwith  pronounce  him  a  false  Prophet ; 
and  if  a  mob  rise  and  kill  him,  or  burn  his 
house,  or  destroy  his  goods,  you  will  either 
rejoice,  or  sit  in  silence  and  give  countenance 
to  the  deed,  and  perhaps  cry,  "False 
Prophet !"  while  your  press  and  pulpits 
teem  with  all  manner  of  lies  concerning  him. 
Woe  unto  you,  priests,  Pharisees,  hypocrites ! 
but  fill  ye  up  the  measure  of  your  fathers, 
for  as  they  did,  so  do  ye.  Vengeance  belongs 
to  God.  He  will  speedily  avenge  His  elect, 
who  cry  unto  Him  day  and  night. 

But  to  return  to  the  subject  of  Revelation. 
"There  is  nothing  secret  that  shall  not  be 
revealed :  neither  hid  that  shall  not  be 
known  ;  "  this  was  a  maxim  of  the  Savior. 
And  again:  "The  knowledge  of  the  kord  is 
to  cover  the  earth,  as  the  waters  do  the  sea." 
Now,  I  ask  how  this  great  overturn  is  to  be 
brought  about?  And  I  know  no  better  way 
to  answer  this  question,  than  to  quote  the 
prophecy  of  Nephi,  Book  of  Mormon  (n.e.), 
2  Nephi,  xxix,  11 — 14:  "For  I  command  all 
men,  both  in  the  east,  and  in  the  west,  and 
in  the  north,  and  in  the  south,  and  in  the 
islands  of  the  sea,  that  they  shall  write  the 


244  THE   DEALINGS  OP  GOD. 

words  which  I  speak  unto  them :  for  out  of  the 
books  which  shall  be  written,  I  will  judge 
the  world,  every  man  according  to  their 
works,  according  to  that  which  is  written. 

"For  behold,  I  shall  speak  unto  the  Jews, 
and  they  shall  write  it;  and  I  shall  also 
speak  unto  the  Nephites,  and  they  shall  write 
it;  and  I  shall  also  speak  unto  the  other 
tribes  of  the  house  of  Israel  which  I  have 
led  away,  and  they  shall  write  it;  and  I 
shall  also  speak  unto  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth,  and  they  shall  write  it. 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  the  Jews 
shall  have  the  words  of  the  Nephites,  and 
the  Nepliites  shall  have  the  words  of  the 
Jews ;  and  the  Nephites  and  the  Jews  shall 
have  the  words  of  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel ; 
and  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel  shall  have  the 
words  of  the  Nephites  and  the  Jews. 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  my  people 
which  are  of  the  house  of  Israel,  shall  be 
gathered  home  unto  the  lands  of  their  posses- 
sions ;  and  my  word  also  shall  be  gathered 
in  one.  And  I  will  show  unto  them  that 
fight  against  my  word,  and  against  my  peo- 
ple who  are  of  the  house  of  Israel,  that  I  am 
God,  and  that  I  covenanted  with  Abraham, 
that  I  would  remember  his  seed  for  ever*" 


THE  CONTRAST. 


245 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A  CONTRAST  BETWEEN    THE    DOCTRINE    OF 
CHRIST  AND  THE   DOCTRINES  OF  NINE- 
TEENTH CENTURY. 


"Whosoever  Iransgresseth,  and  abidetjj  not  in 
the  doctrine  of  Christ,  hath  not  God.  He  that 
abideth  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  he  hath  both  the 
Father  and  the  Son." — 2  JOHN,  2. 


DOCTRINE  OF  CHRIST. 

And  these  signs   shall 
follow  them  that  believe. 


In  my  name  shall  they 
cast  out  devils. 

They  shall  speak  with 
new  tongues. 

They  shall  take  up  ser- 
pents, and  if  they  drink 
any  deadly  thing  it  shall 
not  hurt  them;  they  shall 
lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and 
they  shall  recover. 


DOCTRINES  OF  MEN. 

And  these  signs  shall 
not  follow  them  that  be- 
lieve, for  they  are  done 
away  and  no  longer  need- 
ed. 

In  His  name  they  shall 
not  cast  out  devils. 

The  gift  of  tongues  is 
no  longer  needed. 

If  they  take  up  ser- 
pents, they  will  bite  them; 
if  they  drink  any  deadly 
thing  it  will  kill  them. 
They  shall  not  lay  hands 
on  the  sick,  and  if  they  do 
they  shall  not  recover; 
for  such  things  are  done 
away. 


246 


THE  CONTBAST. 


He  that  believeth  on 
me,  the  works  that  I  do 
shall  he  do  also;  and  great- 
er works  than  these  shall 
he  do;  because  I  go  to 
the  Father. 

There  is  nothing  secret 
that  shall  not  be  revealed, 
neither  hid  that  shall  not 
be  known. 

And  He  shall  send  His 
angels,  and  they  shall 
gather  His  elect  from  the 
four  winds,  etc. 

And  I  saw  an  angel  fly- 

r     ing  in  the  midst  of  heaven , 

having     the     everlasting 

Gospel  to  preach  to  them 

that  dwell  on  the  earth, etc. 

And  when  He,  the 
Spirit  of  Truth,  is  come, 
He  will  guide  you  into  all 
truth;  again,  "He  shall 
show  you  things  to  come. ' ' 


If  ye  abide  in  me,  and 
my  words  abide  in  you, 
you  shall  ask  what  you 
will,  in  my  name,  and  I 
will  give  it  you. 

Father,  neither  pray  I 
for  these  alone,  but  for  all 
them  that  shall  believe  on 


He  that  believeth  on 
Christ  shall  not  do  any  of 
the  miracles  and  mighty 
works  that  He  did,  for 
such  things  have  ceased. 

There  is  to  be  no  more 
revelation,  for  all  things 
necessary  are  already  re- 
vealed. 

And  there  is  to  be  no- 
more  ministering  of  an- 
gels, for  such  things  are   ' 
done  away. 

Angels  do  not  appear 
in  this  enlightened  age, 
because  they  are  no  long- 
er needed. 

And  inspiration  is  no 
longer  needed  in  this  age 
of  learning  and  refine- 
ment. Again,  it  shall  not 
show  you  things  to  come: 
for  then  you  would  be  a 
Prophet,  and  there  are  to 
be  no  Prophets  in  these 
days. 

It  is  not  so  in  these 
days,  we  must  not  expect 
to  heal  the  sick  and  work 
miracles, consequently  we 
must  not  expect  to  re- 
ceive what  we  ask  for. 

And  we  are  all  good 
Christians,  and  we  all  be- 
lieve on  Him  through  the 


THE  CONTRAST. 


247 


me  through  their  words, 
that  they  may  all  be  one, 
even  as  we  are  one. 

One  Lord,  one  faith, 
and  one  baptism. 

And  by  one  Spirit  are 
ye  all  baptized  into  one 
body. 

And  God  gave  some 
Apostles;  and  some,  Pro- 
phets; and  some,  Evange- 
lists; and  some,  Pastors 
and  Teachers;  for  the  per- 
fecting of  the  Saints,  for 
the  work  of  the  ministry, 
for  the  edifying  of  the 
body  of  Christ. 


These  gifts  and  offices 
were  to  continue  until  we 
all  come  into  the  unity  of 
the  faith,  and  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Son  of 
God,  unto  a  perfect  man, 
unto  the  measure  of  the 
stature  of  the  fulness  of 
Christ. 

These  gifts  and  offices 
were  given  that  we  hence- 
forth be  no  more  children, 
tossed  to  and  fro,  and  car- 
ried about  with  every 
wind  of  doctrine,  by  the 


Apostles'  words, although 
divided  into  several  hun- 
dred different  sects. 

Many  Lords,  many 
faiths,  and  three  or  four 
kinds  of  baptism. 

And  by  many  spirits 
are  we  all  torn  asunder 
into  different  bodies. 

And  there  are  to  be  no 
more  Apostles,  and  no 
more  Prophets.  But  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  the 
perfecting  of  the  Saints, 
and  the  edifying  of  the 
different  bodies  of  Christ, 
can  all  be  done  very  well 
without  these  gifts  of 
God,  only  give  us  money 
enough  to  educate  and 
employ  the  wisdom  of 
men. 

Apostles,  miracles  and 
gifts  were  to  continue  du- 
ring the  first  age  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  then  were  to 
cease,  because  no  longer 
needed,  having  accom- 
plished their  purpose. 


Tracts,  creeds, sermons 
and  commentaries  of  un- 
inspired men,  together 
with  a  hireling  priesthood, 
are  now  necessary  in  or- 
der to  keep  men  from  be- 


248 


THE  CONTRAST. 


sleight  of  men,  and  cun- 
ning craftiness,  whereby 
they  lie  in  wait  to  deceive. 
For  no  man  taketh  this 
honor  unto  himself,  but 
he  that  is  called  of  God, 
as  was  Aaron. 

But  how  shall  they 
preach,  except  they  be 
sent  (of  God)? 


Is  any  sick  among  you? 
let  him  call  for  the  Elders 
of  the  Church,  and  let 
them  pray  over  him, 
anointing  him  with  oil  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord: 
and  the  prayer  of  faith 
shall  save  the  sick,  and 
the  Lord  shall  raise  him 
up;  and  if  he  have  com- 
mitted sins  they  shall  be 
forgiven  him. 

Repent  and  be  baptized 
every  one  of  you  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for 
the  remission  of  sins,  and 
ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost;  for  the 
promise  is  unto  you,  and 
to  your  children, and  to  all 
that  are  afar  off,  even  as 
many  as  the  Lord  our 
God  shall  call. 


ing  carried  about  with 
every  wind  of  doctrine, 
etc. 

For  no  man  taketh  this 
honor  unto  himself,  but 
one  who  has  been  edu- 
cated for  the  purpose,  and 
commissioned  by  mem 

But  how  shall  they 
preach  except  they  be 
well  educated  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  sent  (by  the 
board  of  officers)? 

If  any  are  sick  among 
you,  do  not  send  for  the 
Elders  of  the  Church;  or, 
if  the  Elders  come,  do 
not  let  them  lay  hands  on 
them,  neither  let  them 
anoint  them  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  for  this  is  all 
"Mormon" delusion,  but 
send  for  a  good  physician, 
and  perhaps  they  may  get 
well. 

Repent  and  come  to 
the  anxious  seat  (penitent 
form),  every  one  of  you, 
and  cry,  "Lord,  Lord," 
and  may  be  you  will  get 
forgiveness  of  sins;  and 
you  may  be  baptized  or 
not;  but  if  you  do,  you 
will  not  get  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  they  did  ancient- 
ly, for  such  things  are 
done  away. 


THE  CONTRAST. 


249 


It  shall  come  to  pass  in 
the  last  days,  saith  God, 
that  I  will  pour  out  my 
Spirit  upon  all  flesh:  and 
your  sons  and  your  daugh- 
ters shall  prophesy,  and 
your  young  men  shall  see 
visions,  and  your  old  men 
shall  dream  dreams,  etc. 


Covet  earnesly  the  best 
gifts,  but  rather  that  ye 
prophesy. 


Covet  to  prophesy,  and 
forbid  not  to  speak  with 
tongues. 

But  in  vain  do  they  wor- 
ship me,  teaching  for  doc- 
trines the  commandments 
of  men. 

I  thank  thee,  O  Father, 
Lord  of  heaven  and  earth, 
because  thou  hast  hid 
these  things  from  the  wise 
and  prudent,  and  hast  re- 
vealed them  unto  babes; 
even  so,  Father,  for  so  it 
seemed  good  in  thy  sight. 


No  man  knoweth  the 
Son  but  the  Father,  nei- 


And  in  these  last  days 
the  Lord  will  not  poar 
out  His  Spirit  so  as  to 
cause  our  sons  and  daugh- 
ters to  prophesy,  our  old 
men  to  dream  dreams, 
and  our  young  men  to  see 
visions;  for  such  things 
are  no  longer  needed,  and 
it  is  all  a  delusion,  and 
none  but  the  ignorant  be- 
lieve such  things. 

Do  not  covet  any  of 
the  supernatural  gifts,  but 
especially  beware  of  pro- 
phesying, for  such  things 
are  done  away. 

Do  not  prophesy,  and 
it  is  all  a  delusion  to  speak 
in  tongues. 

It  matters  not  what 
kind  of  doctrine,  or  what 
system,  a  man  embraces, 
if  he  is  only  sincere  and 
worships  Jesus  Christ. 

We  thank  God  that  He 
has  revealed  nothing  to 
any  person,  wise  or  sim- 
ple, for  many  hundred 
years,  but  that  our  wise 
and  learned  men  have 
been  able  to  know  God 
without  a  revelation,  and 
that  we  shall  never  be  fa- 
vored with  any  more. 

We  all  know  God  in 
this  enlightened  age,  and 


250 


THE  CONTRAST. 


ther  knoweth  any  man  the 
Father  save  the  Son,  and 
he  to  whomsoever  the 
Son  will  reveal  Him. 

And  this  is  life  eternal, 
that  they  might  know 
Thee  the  only  true  God, 
and  Jesus  Christ,  whom 
Thou  hast  sent. 

I  thank  my  God  always 
on  your  behalf,  for  the 
grace  of  God  which  is 
given  you  by  Jesus  Christ, 
that  in  everything  ye  are 
enriched  by  Him  in  all  ut- 
terance, and  in  all  knowl- 
edge, even  as  the  testimo- 
ny of  Christ  (the  spirit  of 
prophecy)  was  confirmed 
in  you,  so  that  ye  come 
behind  in  no  good  gift, 
waiting  for  the  coming  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 


The  foolishness  of  God 
is  wiser  than  men;  and 
the  weakness  of  God  is 
stronger  than  men.  For 
you  see  your  calling, 


yet  neither  the  Father  nor 
the  Son  has  revealed  any 
thing  to  any  of  us,  for  we 
do  not  believe  revelations 
are  necessary  now. 

And  we  cannot  know 
for  ourselves,  by  any 
positive  manifestation,  in 
these  days,  but  must  de- 
pend on  the  wisdom  and 
learning  of  men. 

We  thank  the  Lord  al- 
ways, in  behalf  of  the 
Church  in  these  days,  that 
she  has  no  supernatural 
gifts  given  unto  her,  and 
that  she  is  not  enriched 
by  Christ,  neither  in  the 
gift  of  utterance,  nor  in 
the  gift  of  knowledge; 
neither  has  she  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  (the  spirit 
of  prophecy)  confirmed 
in  her,  and  she  comes  be- 
hind in  all  the  gifts;  nor 
is  she  waiting  fory  or  ex- 
pecting, the  coming  of  the 
Lord;  for  He  has  come 
once,  and  never  will  come 
again  till  the  great  and 
last  day,  the  end  of  the 
earth. 

The  wisdom  of  men, 
and  the  learning  of  men, 
are  better  than  the  inspi- 
ration of  the  Almighty, 
for  that  is  not  needed  any 


THE  CONTRAST. 


251 


brethren,  how  that  not 
many  wise  men  after  the 
flesh,  not  many  mighty, 
not  many  noble,  are  call- 
ed: but  God  hath  chosen 
the  foolish  things  of  the 
world  to  confound  the 
wise;  and  God  hath  cho- 
sen the  weak  things  of 
the  world  to  confound 
the  things  which  are  migh- 
ty, and  base  things  of  the 
world,  and  things  which 
are  despised,  hath  God 
chosen;  yea,  and  things 
which  are  not,  to  bring 
to  nought  things  that  are; 
that  no  flesh  should  glory 
ki  His  presence. 

And  I,  brethren,  when 
I  came  to  you,  came  not 
with  excellency  of  speech 
or  of  wisdom,  declaring 
unto  you  the  testimony  of 
God;  for  I  determined 
not  to  know  anything 
among  you,  save  Jesus 
Christ  and  Him  crucified. 
And  I  was  with  you  in 
weakness,  and  in  fear, 
and  in  much  trembling. 
And  my  speech  and  my 
preaching  was  not  with 
enticing  words  of  man's 
wisdom,  but  in  demon- 
stration of  the  Spirit  and 
of  power;  that  your  faith 


longer;  for  you  see  your 
calling,  brethren,  how 
that  the  wise  and  learned, 
and  noble,  and  mighty 
are  called  in  these  days; 
for  we  have  chosen  such 
to  confound  the  foolish, 
the  unlearned,  and  the 
ignorant;  yea,  to  con- 
found the  base  things  oi 
the  world  which  are  des- 
pised, that  flesh  might 
glory  in  Hib  presemce. 


And  we ,  brethren ,  when 
we  came  unto  you,  came 
with  excellency  of  speech , 
and  with  the  wisdom  and 
learning  of  man;  and  our 
speech  and  our  preaching 
were  with  enticing  words 
of  man's  wisdom,  not  in 
demonstration  of  the 
Spirit  and  power,  for  that 
is  done  away;  that  your 
faith  should  not  stand  in 
the  power  of  God,  but  in 
the  wisdom  of  man. 


252 


THE  CONTRAST. 


should  not  stand  in  the 
wisdom  of  men,  but  in 
the  power  of  God. 

But  we  speak  the  wis- 
dom of  God  in  a  mystery, 
even  the  hidden  wisdom, 
which  God  ordained  be- 
fore the  world  unto  our 
glory;  which  none  of  the 
princes  of  this  world 
knew:  for  had  they  known 
it,  they  would  not  have 
crucified  the  Lord  of  glory. 

But  God  hath  revealed 
them  unto  us,  by  His 
Spirit;  for  the  Spirit 
searcheth  all  things,  yea, 
the  deep  things  of  God. 


For  what  man  knoweth 
the  things  of  a  man,  save 
the  spirit  of  man  which  is 
in  him?  Even  so  the 
things  of  God  knoweth 
no  man,  but  the  Spirit  of 
God. 


Now  we  have  received 
not  the  spirit  of  the  world, 
but  the  Spirit  which  is 
of  God:  that  we  might 
know  the  things  that  are 
freely  given  to  us  of  God. 


But  we  speak  the  wis- 
dom ot  man  in  a  mystery, 
even  the  hidden  wisdom 
which  none  but  the  learn- 
ed knew;  for  had  others 
known  it,  they  would 
never  have  been  under 
the  necessity  of  employ- 
ing us  to  tell  it  to  them. 

But  God  hath  revealed 
nothing  unto  us  by  His 
Spirit;  for  the  wisdom 
and  learning  of  man 
search  all  things;  yea,  all 
the  deep  things  which  are  „ 
necessary  for  us  to  know. 

For  what  man  knoweth 
the  things  of  man,  save 
the  spirit  of  man,  which 
is  in  him?  even  so  the 
things  of  God  knoweth 
no  man  by  the  Spirit  of 
God  in  these  days,  for  it 
is  done  away,  or  it  reveals 
nothing. 

Now  we  have  not  re- 
ceived the  Spirit  of  God, 
but  the  spirit  of  the  world, 
that  we  might  not  know 
for  a  certainty,  but  that 
we  might  guess  at,  or 
give  our  opinion  of,  the 
things  of  God. 


THE  CONTRAST. 


253 


Which  things  also  we 
speak,  not  in  the  words 
which  man's  wisdom 
teacheth,  bu\  which  the 
Holy  Ghost  teacheth : 
comparing  spiritual  things 
with  spiritual. 

But  the  natural  man  re- 
ceiveth  not  the  things  of 
the  Spirit  of  God :  for 
they  are  foolishness  unto 
him;  neither  can  he  know 
them,  because  they  are 
spiritually  discerned. 


Let  no  man  deceive 
himself.  If  any  man 
among  youseemeth  to  be 
wise  in  this  world,  let  him 
become  a  fool,  that  he 
may  be  wise. 

For  the  wisdom  of  this 
world  is  foolishness  with 
God:  for  it  is  written,  He 
taketh  the  wise  in  their 
own  craftiness.  And 
again,  The  Lord  knoweth 
the  thoughts  of  the  wise, 
that  they  are  vai  n .  There- 
fore, let  no  man  glory  in 
men. 

Now  concerning  spirit- 
ual gifts, brethren, I  would 
not  have  you  ignorant, 


Which  things  also  we 
speak,  not  in  the  words 
which  the  Holy  Ghost 
teacheth,  but  which  man's 
wisdom  tea'cheth;  for  the 
inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  d(  ne  away. 

But  the  learned  man 
may  receive  and  under- 
stand the  things  of  God 
by  his  own  wisdom,  with- 
out the  inspiration  of  the 
Spirit;  for  who  will  be  so 
foolish  as  to  believe  in 
visions  and  revelations  in 
this  religious  age? 

Let  no  man  deceive 
himself.  If  any  man 
among  you  seemeth  to  be 
wise  in  the  things  of  God, 
let  him  get  the  wisdom  of 
men,  that  he  may  be  wise. 

For  the  wisdom  of  God 
is  foolishness  with  the 
world,  for  it  is  written, 
Let  us  educate  young 
men  for  the  ministry;  and 
again,  Let  no  man  preach 
who  has  not  been  educa- 
ted for  the  purpose;  and 
especially,  receive  no  man 
who  professes  to  be  in- 
spired. 

Now,  concerning  spirit- 
ual gifts,  brethren,  we 
would  have  you  entirely 


254 


THE  CONTRAST. 


But  the  manifestation 
of  the  Spirit  is  given  to 
every  man  to  profit  with- 
al. 

For  to  one  is  given  by 
the  Spirit  the  word  of 
wisdom;  to  another,  the 
word  of  knowledge  by 
the  same  Spirit. 

To  another,  faith  by  the 
same  Spirit;  to  another, 
the  gifts  of  healing  by  the 
same  Spirit. 

To  another,  the  work- 
ing of  miracles;  to  an- 
other, prophecy;  to  an- 
other, discerning  of  spirits; 
to  another,  divers  kinds  of 
tongues;  to  another,  the 
interpretation  of  tongues. 

For  as  the  body  is  one, 
and  hath  many  members, 
and  all  the  members  of 
that  one  body,  being 
many,  are  one  body,  so 
also  is  Christ. 


For  by  one  Spirit  are 
we  all  baptized  into  one 
body,  whether  we  be  Jews 


ignorant,  for  they  are  not 
needed  at  all  in  this  gen- 
eration. 

But  the  manifestation 
of  the  Spirit  is  given  to 
no  man  to  profit  at  all. 

But  to  one  is  given,  by 
the  learning  of  men,  the 
word  of  wisdom;  and  to 
another,  the  word  of 
knowledge  by  human 
learning. 

And  to  another,  faith, 
by  the  same  Spirit;  but  to 
none  the  gift  of  healing 
by  the  same  Spirit. 

And  to  none  the  work- 
ing of  miracles,  and  to 
none  to  prophesy;  and  to 
none  discerning  of  spirits; 
and  to  none  to  speak 
with  divers  kinds  of 
tongues,  and  to  none  to 
interpret  tongues. 

For  as  the  body  is 
composed  of  many  sects 
and  parties  who  are  op- 
posed to  each  other,  and 
have  no  gifts,  and  being 
many  sects,  are  but  one 
body,  so  also  is  Anti- 
christ. 

For  by  many  spirits  are 
we  all  baptized  into  many 
bodies,  whether  we  be 


THE  CONTRAST. 


255 


or  Gentiles,  whether  we 
be  bond  or  free;  and  have 
been  all  made  to  drink 
into  one  Spirit. 

For  the  body  is  not 
one  member,  but  many. 

But  now  hath  God  set 
the  members  every  one 
of  them  in  the  body,  as 
it  hath  pleased  Him. 

And  if  they  were  all 
one  member,  where  were 
the  body? 

But  now  are  they  many 
members,  but  one  body. 

Now  ye  are  the  body 
of  Christ,  and  members 
in  particular. 

And  God  hath  set 
some  in  the  Church: 
first,  Apostles;  secondly, 
Prophets;  thirdly,  Teach- 
ers; after  that,  miracles; 
then,  gifts  of  healings, 
helps,  governments,  di- 
versities of  tongues. 

Blessed  are  ye,  when 
men  shall  revile  you,  and 
persecute  you,  and  shall 
say  all  manner  of  evil 
against  you  falsely,  for 
my  sake:  rejoice,  and  be 
exceeding  glad;  for  great 


Catholics  or  Protestants, 
Presbyterians  or  Metho- 
dists, but  have  all  drunk 
into  one  spirit,  even  the 
spirit  of  the  world. 

For  the  body  is  not  one 
sect,  but  many. 

But  now  hath  the  God 
(of  this  world)  set  the 
sects  and  parties  in  the 
body  (of  Antichrist)  as  it 
hath  pleased  him. 

And  if  they  were  all 
one  sect,  where  were  the 
body? 

But  now  are  they  many 
sects,  yet  but  one  body 
(even  Babylon). 

Now  ye  are  the  body 
of  Antichrist,  and  mem- 
bers in  particular. 

And  man  hath  set  some 
in  the  church,  first,  a 
hireling  priest;  secondly, 
a  board  of  officers;  third- 
ly, tracts;  then  commen- 
taries, creeds,  and  diversi- 
ties of  opinions;  hence, 
societies  and  wondrous 
helps. 

Woe  unto  you,  when 
men  revile  you,  and  per- 
secute you,  and  say  all 
manner  of  evil  against 
you  falsely  for  Christ's 
sake.  Lament  ye,  and 
be  exceedingly  sorrowful 


256 


THE   CONTRAST. 


is  your  reward  in  heaven; 
for  so  persecuted  they 
the  Prophets  which  were 
before  you. 

Give  to  him  that  asketh 
thee;  and  from  him  that 
would  borrow  of  thee 
turn  thou  not  away. 


Be  ye  therefore  perfect 
even  as  your  Father  who 
is  in  heaven  is  perfect. 

Take  heed  that  you  do 
not  your  alms  before  men, 
to  be  seen  of  them;  other- 
wise ye  have  no  reward 
of  your  Father  who  is  in 
heaven. 

Therefore,  when  thou 
doest  thine  alms,  do  not 
sound  a  trumpet  before 
thee,  as  the  hypocrites 
do  in  the  synagogues 
and  in  the  streets,  that 
they  may  have  glory  of 
men.  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  They  have  their  re- 
ward. 

And  when  thou  prayest, 
thou  shalt  not  be  as  the 
hypocrites  are;  for  they 
love  to  pray  standing  in 
the  synagogues  and  in 
the  corners  of  the  streets, 


in  that  hour,  for  little  is 
your  reward  among  men, 
for  so  persecute  they  the 
Latter-day  Saints. 

Give  to  him  that  asketh 
of  thee,  if  he  be  able 
to  make  thee  a  similar 
present;  and  from  him 
that  would  borrow  of  thee 
turn  not  thou  away,  if  he 
be  able  to  pay  thee  again 
with  good  interest. 

Do  not  think  to  be 
perfect,  for  it  is  impossible 
to  live  without  sin. 

Take  heed  that  you  do 
your  alms  before  men,  to 
be  seen  of  them;  other- 
wise, you  have  no  reward 
nor  praise  from  the  chil- 
dren of  men. 

Therefore  when  thou 
doest  thine  alms,  publish 
it  in  the  Missionary  Her- 
ald, or  some  other  paper, 
that  you  may  get  praise 
of  the  world.  Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  You  shall 
have  your  reward. 


And  when  thou  pray- 
est, be  like  the  hypocrites 
in  days  of  old:  go  before 
the  public  and  cry  might- 
ily, not  expecting  to  be 
heard  and  anffVered,  for 


THE   CONTRAST. 


257 


that  they  may  be  seen  of 
men. 

Moreover,  when  ye 
fast,  be  not,  as  the  hypo- 
crites, of  a  sad  coun- 
tenance: for  they  dis- 
figure their  faces,  that 
they  may  appear  unto 
men  to  fast.  Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  They  have 
their  reward. 

Lay  not  up  for  your- 
selves treasures  upon 
earth, where  moth  and  rust 
doth  corrupt,  and  where 
thieves  break  through  and 
steal:  but  lay  up  for  your- 
selves treasures  in  heaven, 
where  neither  moth  nor 
rust  dotli  corrupt,  and 
where  thieves  do  not 
break  through  nor  steal; 
for  where  your  treasure 
is,  there  will  your  heart 
be  also. 

Therefore  all  things 
whatsoever  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  to  you, 
do  ye  even  so  to  them: 
for  this  is  the  law  and  the 
Prophets. 


Enter    ye    in    at    the  Enter  ye  in  at  the  wide 

straight  gate;  for  wide  is  gate,  where  the  multitude^ 

the  gate,  and  broad  is  the  go:  for  it  cannot  be  that 

way,  tr  at  leadeth  to  de-  all  our  great  and  learned 


that  would  be  miracu- 
lous, and  miracles  have 
ceased. 

Moreover. when  ye  fast, 
be  like  the  hypocrites,  of 
a  sad  countenance,  that 
ye  may  appear  unto  men 
to  fast;  so  that  you  may 
get  your  reward. 


Lay  up  for  yourselves 
abundance  of  treasures 
on  the  earth,  where  moth 
and  rust  doth  corrupt, 
and  where  thieves  break 
through  and  steal;  for  if 
your  heart  is  only  in 
heaven,  it  is  no  matter 
how  rich  you  are  in  this 
world;  for  now  it  is  come 
to  pass  that  ye  can  serve 
God  and  mammon. 


Therefore  all  things 
whatsoever  men  do  to 
you,  do  ye  even  so  to 
them;  for  this  is  the  law 
and  the  practice. 


258 


THE   CONTRAST. 


struction,  and  many  there 
be  which  go  in  thereat. 

Because  straight  is  the 
gate,  and  narrow  is  the 
way,  that  leadeth  unto 
life,  and  few  there  be  that 
find  it. 

Beware  of  false  pro- 
phets, which  come  to  you 
in  sheep's  clothing,  but 
inwardly  they  are  raven- 
ing wolves.  Ye  shall 
know  them  by  their  fruits. 
Do  men  gather  grapes  of 
thorns,  or  figs  ol  thistles? 


Wherefore,  by  their 
fruits  ye  shall  know  them. 
Not  every  one  that  saith 
unto  me,  Lord,  Lord, 
shall  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven;  but  he 
that  doeth  the  will  of  my 
Father  who  is  in  heaven. 


And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  Jesus  had  ended 
these  sayings,  the  people 
were  astonished  at  His 
doctrine:  for  He  taught 
them  as  one  having  au- 
thority, and  not  as  the 
s  Bribes. 


men  are  wrong,  and  no- 
body right  but  a  few  ob- 
scure individuals. 

For  the  narrow  way  is 
not  altogether  too  straight, 
but  only  a  very  few  travel 
in  it. 

Beware  of  Prophets 
who  come  to  you  with  the 
Word  of  God;  you  may 
know  at  once  they  are 
false,  without  hearing 
them  or  examining  their 
fruits;  popular  opinion  is 
against  them;  whereas,  if 
they  were  men  of  God, 
the  people  would  speak 
well  of  them. 

If  we  are  only  sure 
that  we  have  experienced 
religion,  and  we  pray 
often,  we  shall  be  saved, 
whether  we  do  the  Lord's 
will  or  not;  for  it  mattereth 
not  what  system  we  em- 
brace, whether  it  be  right 
or  wrong,  if  we  are  only 
sincere. 

And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  men  had  ended 
these  sayings,  the  people 
were  pleased  with  their 
doctrines,  for  they  taught 
them  not  as  men  having 
authority,  but  as  the 
scribes. 


\  A 


^! 
l/V\v 


!    "  i  -— 
Aj  dM/r 


